The Wasteland Journey Across The Country
by Master Doom Maker
Summary: Two travelers, a Vault Dweller and a born Wastelander, have been tasked to follow a strange signal coming from across the country. What's at the end of the signal? They don't know. But on their journey, they will come across many adventures and companions to join their cause as they discover a secret from before the Great War that engulfed the world in nuclear flames.
1. THE FIRST ROAD OF MANY

**CHAPTER 1: THE FIRST ROAD OF MANY.**

 _War...War never changes..._

February 17/2296

In a desolate town, one of countless others that have become burnt out shadows of their former selves after the Great War. The town was chosen as the place to complete a deal with a group of bandits that had been harassing another settlement. And unfortunately, the two people that were chosen for the deal have ended up in a firefight against the bandits. The two ran with all their strength as bullets flew over their heads.

The first young man was around 6'2 and had chestnut brown hair cut short and hazel colored eyes. His body was medium build and didn't look like he had lived in the Wastelands for very long. He wore a blackish gray trench coat with many pockets, his black steel toe boots went up to his knees. He wore a Vault suit with the number 96 on the back in bold yellow numbers. The Vault suit was also covered in extra layers of padding and straps for extra protection. He also had a pair of goggles and a face bandanna around his neck. On his left wrist was a very unusual Pip-Boy that covered most of his forearm. He was equipped with a AN-94 assault rifle, Mossberg 590 riot shotgun, two Colt M1911 handguns, a Desert Eagle 50AE, and combat machete.

The second young man, was around 5'8 with messy dark brown hair, gray-blue eyes, and a thin build to his body. He wore a typical black long sleeve shirt with a dusty brown cargo jacket with dark gray cargo pants that were worn out. He had a black leather belt with a gun pouch, black combat boots, and a black fingerless glove on his right hand. Around his neck was a pair of goggles that were also a prescription for his eyes, and a black box top cap on his head. He carried a Winchester rifle 1873, a sawed-off shotgun, a Browning 9mm pistol, a combat knife, and a fire axe.

The two returned fire at the group of bandits that were chasing them. "Doug! Move your ass already! Don't stop running!" the first man screamed as he emptied his assault rifle.

"What the fuck do you think I'm doing?! You move your ass, Louis!" the other man shouted as he fired both shells in his shotgun.

The bandits were closing in with the leader at the front of the line. "Kill them! Kill them and take everything they have!" he ordered his men while firing.

"Son of a bitch! Son of a bitch! Son of a bitch!" Louis screamed as he loaded a new clip. "Shit! I'm down to my last magazine!"

"You think you have it bad?! I only have five shells left! And I'm down to only twelve shots with my rifle!" Doug snapped at him as the two spotted a gutted car. "Quick! Duck behind this car! Its fusion core isn't in it! So it won't explode!"

"You don't have to tell me twice!" Louis agreed as they ducked behind the rusty old heap.

The bandits shot away at the car while closing in. "Don't let your guard down! I want their stuff! I want that guy's Pip-Boy as well! Don't damage it, you stupid sons of whores!" the leader yelled.

Doug quickly moved from cover and fired the last six rounds in his pistol before ducking down. "So this turned out to be a nice fucking day! Let's go to a town to settle a deal with little information on the bandits and no backup at all! Great plan, Louis!"

Louis lunged up and fired his Desert Eagle before ducking back down. "Hey, you weren't complaining when the leader of the settlement said he would pay us four hundred caps for completing the job! We need the money for our trip!"

One bandit managed to make his way around the car and almost got the drop. But Doug spotted him and pulled out his saw-off shotgun and fired two rounds right into his chest. He looked at his gun and realized what he did. "Aw, dammit!" he screamed.

"What? You got him! That's a good thing!" Louis said as he managed to shoot down two bandits with his magnum.

"I fired off two shells instead of one! I wasted two rounds on that cocksucker! Now I only got three!" Doug groaned while reloading it.

"Here, I'll make it up to you!" Louis pulled out a grenade from his pocket and pulled the pin and tossed it.

The grenade flew and landed near a few of them and exploded, killing them instantly and forcing the bandits to spread out more in a panic.

"I gotta admit, you got a nice throw..." Doug commented as he fired one round from his shotgun at another bandit.

"Eh, just one of my many charms..." Louis shrugged with a smile. "But we need to end this! Cover me, I got a plan."

"You mean like your last plan with the radscorpion and mole-rat?..." Doug frowned at him.

"We got the teeth out of your leg! Now cover me!" Louis began running from their hiding spot.

The bandits focused their fire on him as Doug fired another round from his shotgun and loaded the last shell and switched to his rifle and got most of their attention after he hit one in the throat. Louis dodged the bullets and got within several meters of the bandit leader and his remaining men. He spotted the motorcycle near them that was mostly intact and aimed his handguns at it and fired. The bullets hit the body near the reactor core and caused a chain reaction. The bandits panicked and ran away from it, but the motorcycle went off with a loud explosion that killed them almost right away. Their burning bodies hitting the broken pavement as Louis took cover behind another old car.

"Are you shitting me?!" Doug yelled with his ears covered.

The small mushroom cloud soon faded away as the two travelers emerged from cover. The bandits were all dead, some were even in pieces as the two cautiously looked over the battlefield for any survivors and put them out of their misery for good.

Louis scanned the area for radiation with his Pip-Boy to make sure it was safe. "We're okay! The radiation in these motorcycles have always been incredibly low." he called to his friend.

Doug got up from his hiding spot. "Still doesn't make it okay to blow up a prewar motorcycle! You could have caused a chain reaction and set off every vehicle in the area."

"There's not that many cars in this godforsaken town." Louis looked at the bandits. "This whole deal was a bust. I say we scavenge these guys and sell what we can back in that town..."

"Now that's a good plan. I call ammo and stimpaks..." Doug said with a smile.

"Got some more giant mole-rat teeth in your legs?" Louis laughed.

"Fuck you..." Doug rolled his eyes and searched the bandit that he fired two shells at.

The two suddenly heard a groan and turned with their weapons drawn and spotted the bandit leader on the ground. He was covered in burns and didn't seem like he would last any longer. "Please...please...I beg of you...help me..." he wheezed.

The two walked over to him with looks of indifference in their eyes. "What do you say, Doug, should we help him?" Louis asked him.

"Well...I suppose we could do a good deed for today." Doug nodded as the two held their hands up.

The bandit leader smiled and held his hand out, but the two suddenly did something he didn't expect. "Rock, paper, scissors, shoot!" they both said. Louis threw a rock as Doug threw scissors.

"Ha! I win!" Louis smiled in victory.

"Damn." Doug opened his shotgun and looked at his remaining shell. "And I only got one shell left! It's such a waste on him."

"In that case, why don't you use your fire axe?" Louis suggested to him.

"Oh, right, thanks! You can come up with good plans." Doug put his gun away and reached for his axe. "Don't worry, I'll make it quick..." he flipped it to the pick end.

The bandit leader panicked and tried to crawl away. "No, please! Don't! I beg you! I'll give you guys anything! I'll stop bothering the settlement! You guys can even have the caps we have in our base! It's in the old police station in a desk drawer! Please, don't do it-" the pick of Doug's fire axe was stabbed into his skull.

The two then searched the bandits and gathered their weapons that were still intact and any ammo they had. But most of them had ammo that didn't go with their guns, and they found only three stimpaks and a bottle of rad-x and a can of food with no label. Doug found the sack of caps and the two decided it was time to head back to the settlement.

The way back was an hour walk down an old road with most of its concrete and asphalt gone. The two had the guns they recovered tied together and slung over their backs as Doug counted the sack of caps. "Man...only forty-two caps?! What a load of crap. And to think I actually considered sparing him..."

"Better than nothing. Personally, I just don't see how you people have ever ended up using bottle caps for money..." Louis commented to him.

"Like I would know, Vault boy. If you don't like it, you can always head home..." Doug put the caps away.

"You know I can't. I have a mission to complete." Louis said as he lifted his unique Pip-Boy up and flipped the knob to its journal entry mode. "Year, 2296. Date, February 17th. Journal Log number 6. Me and my companion, Doug, have finally made it near the state border of Maine in Bethel. We started our journey less than a month ago with a lot of distractions that have put us way behind schedule."

"We're traveling across the country! Do you have any idea how long that's gonna take?" Doug interrupted before taking a big gulp from his canteen. "What a way to start the new year..."

"I was getting to that." Louis frowned at him before continuing. "As my friend said, we are traveling by following a signal that my Pip-Boy is displaying. I came from Vault 96. A Vault that monitored the Wasteland of the country that was once known as America. Our Vault was filled with tens of thousands of probes that are very similar to the Eyebot model robots that have recorded years worth of footage on the events that had happened to this country after the bombs dropped across the world on a Saturday, October 23rd, 2077. My partner, Doug, came from a town in Millinocket that was near my Vault. We opened our door to his town fifty years before we were born. I am now twenty-three, and he is twenty. Our Vault and town has a peaceful coexistence, we provided better technology for their crops and water purification, while they provided more food and trade."

"But you guys still live in the Vault. Not that I don't mind living on the outside, at least I have plenty of space." Doug said while eating some jerky.

"Do you want to write this journal log? And besides, a lot of us Vault dwellers have been out in your town. And we even have a plan to have everyone hide in the Vault if the need arises..." Louis said to him and began finishing the last part of his log. "Around January, one of our probes suddenly relayed an emergency signal, it said that there was a Level 10 emergency that needed to be dealt with. Our supercomputer activated a secret protocol and locked on to the location of the signal before the probe went dead. The Pip-Boy that I have now was a special model locked away in a secret case. And for some reason...the supercomputer chose me as the one to wear it and go to the location of the signal that seems to be across the country. Why it chose me? I don't know. What are we suppose to do when we get there? I don't know either. The supercomputer displayed that the Pip-Boy is the key to the location. So all we can do is get there and see what happens. I just hope there's no time limit to this emergency signal. This is Louis, signing off until next time." he turned the Pip-Boy recorder off.

"Not that I'm complaining, but do you really think it was a good idea to just follow this signal with such little information to go on?" Doug asked as he tossed his jerky wrapper. "There's got to be more to this plan of yours..."

"My Pip-Boy never stops transmitting the direction of the signal. So it's better than nothing." Louis slung his arm over Doug's shoulder and held him close. "I have an experienced Wastelander to show me the ropes."

Doug removed his arm from his shoulder. "You said you guys have more than two hundred years worth of recorded footage of the surface. And studied everything about it in classrooms. And you even told me you guys trained with military tactics from army footage before the war. So I still don't know why you need me."

"That's all true, but training and practice can only do so much. Experience is what I need, and only someone like you can provide that..." Louis took a few more paces before Doug grabbed his arm.

"You're right. And here's a Wasteland tip." Doug pointed to the ground where a tiny red light was. "You were two steps from having your legs blown from your ass." he crouched down and slow moved to the landmine and carefully pulled it out and disarmed it. "Someone's idea of a sick joke I'd wager..."

"See? I'm learning stuff all the time..." Louis chuckled as the two continued walking for a few more paces.

"Just don't get too arrogant. The Wasteland is full of idiots that get killed over nothing." Doug pocketed the landmine. "This should get us a few more caps."

"Don't worry, I'm not the type of guy to let things go to my head. And lucky for you..." Louis grabbed Doug by the shoulder to stop him. "I'm a very quick learner..." he pointed to the ground. There was a small stick with a wire tied to it, and on the other end was buried grenade.

"Shit..." Doug sighed.

Louis unarmed the grenade and put it away. "Now we got some more explosives on our hand. You can never have enough explosives."

The two heard a twig snap and saw a feral dog coming towards them. Five more feral dogs came out into view, all of them growling and ready to pounce on the two. The pack slowly got closer to them as they backed away slowly, making sure not to make the dogs think they would start running.

"Good dogs. Nice doggies. Do you think they just want us to play fetch with them, Doug?" Louis chuckled nervously.

"Yeah, they want to play fetch with us alright! They'll play fetch with our bones after they're done eating us!" Doug pulled out his fire axe.

"Damn. And I really love dogs. I guess you can say this whole world has gone to the dogs!" Louis quickly pulled out his long combat machete with a jagged back end.

"Less puns, more killing!" Doug said as the dogs charged.

The first feral dog leaped after Louis as he swung his machete and chopped its head off. The next wild mutt tried to snap at Doug as he hit it in the head with the side of his axe before bringing the blade down on its neck. The third feral dog managed to bite on Louis' leg, but his heavily padded boot protected him as he stabbed his machete blade into its back. The forth one leaped at Doug, he raised his fire axe as the dog bit down on the handle. He struggled for a moment against its pull before kicking it away and chopping the beast in the side. The last two charged at them as they stood together and swung their melee weapons, ending the wild canines by striking them in the heads. The two put their weapons away and continued on without a second thought.

"It's a shame. These dogs were man's best friend as the old saying goes." Louis sighed in pity for the dogs.

"Not all dogs are wild. You've seen dogs at our town before leaving." Doug commented. "Just remember to tell the difference between the good ones, and the really bad ones."

"Understood." Louis smiled with a thumbs up.

The two soon came up to the metal gates of the settlement called Last Post, one of the guards spotted them and gasped. "Holy shit! They're back! Open the gates!" he ordered the men on the ground.

The metal gates slowly slid open for the two with a loud creak as they walked in. The two were soon met by a middle age man with most of his hair gone and wearing a slightly formal suit. "My god, you two made it back in one piece! I was beginning to worry!" he said to them.

"You hear that, Louis? He almost sounds surprised to see us..." Doug frowned at the town leader.

"Indeed he does. And that makes me very...upset..." Louis nodded with a small crazed look.

"Now, hold on! It's not what you think! I was worried about you two!" the Mayor stammered a little. "The deal with the bandits was supposed to be a fair trade."

"What were we delivering in that small package? I doubt it's something that could buy off bandits!" Doug demanded him.

Two of the Mayor's guards were about to step forward as he stopped them. "The item in the package was a map that lead to some prewar storage. The deal was for them to have the location and go get it. They get a lot of loot and stop harassing our town for good!"

"Then why not just give it to them? Why have us go and do it?" Louis questioned him next.

"The bandits never leave their hiding place unless they're going to attack. And we don't have the men to spare for an attack of our own on their place. And besides, the idea was to get them killed. The place I marked on the map is full of Deathclaws, they would have been ripped to pieces and we would never see them again." the Mayor gestured for his accountant to come over and reached into the bag he had. "Here. Take seven hundred caps. Four hundred for your pay, and three hundred more for the trouble you two went to. Please, that's all I can spare!"

Doug took the stacks of caps and quickly counted them. "Okay. I guess we're square."

"And next time, don't send people on a dangerous mission with half-ass and half-cocked details. People might question your leadership skills. Later..." Louis said before the two passed him and walked down the dusty road. "So...should we get something to eat or get rid of this stuff we picked up?"

"Let's sell the weapons we took. I need some more ammo anyway..." Doug shifted the tied guns on his back.

"Sounds like a plan to me..." Louis smiled. The two soon came up to the gun shop of the town and went in and placed the guns on the table. "What can we get for all this stuff?" he asked the shopkeeper.

The shopkeeper was an old man with dark skin and a long white beard. He spent the next few minutes looking at the various guns and dozens of empty shells and casings they gathered. "Well...I can give you about twenty caps for all the casings. The guns, maybe about six to seven caps each. These things aren't exactly in very good condition."

"Come on, maybe just a little more on the price?" Louis held his hand up a little to signal an increase. "You're gonna sell the ones that can't be used to melt down. And even the pipe weapons will be taken apart for their plumbing pipes and parts for other stuff. And even the wood parts of those will be used for burning."

The shopkeeper looked over the dozen and a half weapons for a few moments. "I'll give you...fifty caps for all of them. And I'll spare some ammo that you guys need. We got a deal?"

The two looked to each other for a moment before nodding. "Alright, you got it." Doug shook his hand.

The weapons were exchanged for caps as the two looked over the other items to buy. Louis stocked up on several more grenades and a combat knife and a new scope for his assault rifle. Doug stocked up on more ammo, a couple of lock picks, and even some incendiary shells for his shotgun. The two departed from the gun shop and decided to hit up the local bar that was once a restaurant long ago. The inside was surprisingly clean with a number of people eating as the two went up to the bar and took their seats and looked at the menu above them for a few moments.

"I'll take a bottle of rum with a shot glass." Louis ordered to the bartender

"I'll have a whiskey and Nuka-Cola." Doug ordered next.

The bartender quickly made Doug's drink and then placed the bottle of rum on the bar lounge and gave him a glass. Louis poured up his first drink and chugged it back in one gulp. "So, you want to try and reach the next town? We should pass the border of this state." the Vault dweller asked his partner.

"Sure, why not? I'm not particularly fond of this town anyway. We almost got our asses fed to the vultures." Doug said before taking a big drink.

"What can we get you two? Or do I need to read the menu for you?" a waitress asked them.

Louis glanced at the menu for a moment. "Uh, I'll take the Brahmin steak, well done, with a side of potato and cornbread..." he ordered.

"I'll take the same, but make my steak medium rare." Doug spoke next.

The waitress walked off to place their orders as the bartender made Doug another drink and took a quick drink. "So...you've taken to killing quite well. Are all you Vault dwellers eager to pull the trigger?" he asked him.

Louis made himself another shot and drank it. "I need to do what needs to be done to survive. That's what you've told me the first day we left. And I took your advice a few days later when those Raiders attacked us. That was the first time I killed."

"I still remember that night." Doug took another drink. "You played it off as if you were okay, but I heard you over that ridge puking your guts out and saw you shaking really bad. Not that I'm judging you for feeling bad for killing, it just means that you're not a sick bastard that loves killing. Out here...it's a very thin line between killing because you need to...and killing because you want to..."

"When was your first time?..." Louis asked before taking another drink.

"I was...around fifteen. Her name was Grace. And she had a big pair of titties for her age..." Doug smirked behind his glass.

"Ha, ha, ha! Very funny. You know that's not what I mean." Louis scoffed.

"Alright, if you don't want to hear about titties." Doug laughed before drinking again. "I was thirteen. My dad was showing me how to use my Winchester rifle. We practiced on the range for a little bit until it was time to get back to farming. My dad let me carry my rifle as I went to the farm shed to get some gardening tools. And that's where I found him. A Raider, he was going through our stuff, looking for anything he could take or eat. He soon spotted me and started coming after me, either to slit my throat or take me hostage. He was completely deranged, he was either half-crazed from hunger or on some really hard chems, maybe both. As he came for me, I panicked and grabbed my rifle. I fired one shot and got him in the stomach. Then another into the leg, another went into his chest, and another went into the side of his cheek. But he was still coming and was just in reach of grabbing me as I put one right between his eyes. He fell to the ground dead as my dad came over to see what happened." he looked down at his drink, the ice was starting to melt. "I felt like shit for days, I could hardly eat or sleep. At least my parents let me take a few days off from farming, any halfway decent parents wouldn't want their kids to kill someone. Even if it's in defense. But life out in the Wasteland is anything but simple. So like I said before, everything out here in the Wastelands is a thin line." he chugged down his drink.

Louis chuckled and poured another drink. "You did what you had to do to survive. And I'm glad you fought back, because I like having you as a companion." he drank down his shot. "And for the record...I was sixteen, and her name was Francis. And she was wild in bed, and then her friend Gina went down on me later."

Doug scoffed into his drink. "And I thought you Vault dwellers were all tight ass about everything."

"This may come as a surprise to you...but we do have a number of activities. And you gotta pass the time somehow." Louis said as he saw their orders coming. "Ah! Meal time! I've actually come quite accustomed to Brahmin steaks!"

As the two chow down, someone was watching them from across the room. At the dim corner of the room, a Ghoul man sat at a small round table with a few beers. His wrinkled, leathery skin had a reddish dull and very light brown color to his slender body. His hair was a little long and black with some streaks of gray in it, and his eyes chocolate brown in color and faded. He wore black pants that had a few rips on the side, and a belt with a large buckle and pouches. He had a dark green, button up shirt with long sleeves and collar. And over the shirt was a blackish blue, denim jacket with pockets. Around his neck was a beaded chain with two wedding rings, a dog tag, and a faded police badge. He kept the items under his shirt and out of view. Strapped to his back was a combat shotgun, a hunting rifle with scope, and a revolver pistol strapped to his upper right leg.

The Ghoul man had been watching and following the two for the past few days, waiting for the right time. He reached into his inner pocket and pulled out a pack of cigarettes and was about to pull one out. But he then paused for a few moments while looking at it before putting it away in his coat.

The were finally done and paid their tab before leaving, and even had their six flasks filled up with various booze. They hit up a small store to fill up on water and some dried food and medicine before leaving the town. The Ghoul man was following them while keeping his distance so he wouldn't be seen. The Vault dweller and traveler left the town and traveled down the dusty road. The Ghoul kept his pace with them, they were just within his line of site and kept his footsteps quiet.

"So...it's been about two hours and I'm not shitting every few minutes. I guess that place really was nice and clean." Louis spoke to Doug while giving his Pip-Boy a quick check.

"I told you that place was fine. You sometimes worry too much." Doug chuckled.

Louis was fiddling with his device, frowning that he couldn't get a radio signal. "Well, music is dead in this area. Now I'm getting so bored!" he slouched forward dramatically.

"Take it easy. We should reach the other town in another two or so hours. Hopefully before the sun goes down." Doug rolled his eyes at him. He suddenly heard a heavy beeping sound. "Hey, you're getting something..."

Louis raised his Pip-Boy up and looked at it. "No. That's not my Pip-Boy. That's not anything on it at all!"

The two suddenly heard rumbling, like heavy machinery rolling on the ground as the beeping got louder. The two looked up and saw something come out from behind a large fallen sign that said, 'YOU ARE NOW LEAVING MAINE'.

It was an army grade Sentry Bot. The massive, three legged robot rolled across the old pavement, its body was covered in rust and had a number of bullet holes all over, but it seemed fully functional for the most part. Its targeting system locked on to the two as its right arm laser gun charged up and aimed directly at them, beeping furiously.

"Holy fucking shit!" Louis and Doug yelled in terror as it opened fire with many beams of red lasers.


	2. DOUBLE CROSS

**CHAPTER 2: DOUBLE CROSS.**

" _If you can't find good friends to surround yourself with, then by all means be on your own. Bad friends corrupt good minds." -Edmond Mbiaka._

The Sentry Bot fired from its laser gun at the two. They run in terror and ducked behind a large stone, the laser blasts were tearing it apart. Their cover wouldn't last for long. Louis moved from cover and fired a few rounds from his Desert Eagle as Doug popped off a few shots with his Winchester rifle. The bullets punched through the rusty hull of the massive robot as sparks surged across its body.

"That thing looks like its going to blow any moment!" Doug shouted as he took cover.

"Yeah, it can't take much more! That thing must have been running since the Great War!" Louis quickly reloaded his gun. "Which means its laser cannon is the only thing it has. It must have ran out of missiles a long time ago!"

The Sentry Bot beeped loudly and raised its left arm and fired off a missile that hit into the stone cover, breaking it into more pieces. Their cover was almost gone.

"You and your big mouth!" Doug yelled with his ears covered.

"What?! My ears are ringing like crazy!" Louis shouted over his momentary deafness.

The two then heard a loud gunshot from afar, followed by another and another, all of them hitting the Sentry Bot.

"What the hell is that?! Who's shooting?!" Louis looked around for the source.

"Over there!" Doug pointed in the direction of the shooter. "The shooter is down the road!"

The two saw a Ghoul man shooting at the robot with a hunting rifle and scope. He had just ran out of ammo and loaded a new clip and slid the bolt. "Smooth skins! Get behind some new cover!" he shouted to them.

The Ghoul now had the Sentry Bot's attention as it turned and aimed its left arm and fired another missile at him. The Ghoul man quickly took cover as the missile hit the ground near him. The force of the explosion knocked him down to the ground, causing his necklace to pop out from his shirt, the old police badge with the leather holder fell out.

"Shit! We gotta help him!" Louis said with worry for him.

"We have to help ourselves first!" Doug responded as they got behind a half buried trailer hitch.

"Then in that case, I have an idea!" Louis looked at his Pip-Boy for a moment. "But there's a good part and a bad part to it!"

"Just tell me and get it over with!" Doug sighed, knowing it involved him getting shot at.

"I saw its back when it turned to that Ghoul guy, it's heavily exposed! A few well placed shots will shut it down for good." Louis explained as his Pip-Boy's V.A.T.S. system became active. "But the bad news is...I need you to get its attention!"

"Fine! Just hurry the hell up!" Doug quickly dashed from his hiding spot as the bot took noticed and began firing at him. "Hey! Over here! Shoot me! I want it so bad!" he fired his Winchester while running.

As the Sentry Bot was focused on him, Louis dashed out from hiding and aimed his magnum pistol. His Pip-Boy's V.A.T.S. activated and both his body, brain, and eyes felt a tingling sensation. Everything in his line of view moved to a slow crawl, Doug was leaping for cover as the Ghoul was getting back up. He could even see each of the Sentry Bot's lasers in midair. But he had a target that needed to be hit, his eyes moved to the bot's back. It was spewing fire and sparks, but he could see the main parts near the fusion core. His eyes highlighted the back in a blue shade as he willed his action points into his selected target. As if on autopilot, his arms raised up as his hands gripped the Desert Eagle and squeezed the trigger. The bullets flew and struck into the opening as all five shots precisely hit their mark before the world went back to normal.

The Sentry Bot stopped shooting, its body shot flames from the back as sparks surged all over. It moved in several directions before slowly shutting down as the fire died down a little and its tripod legs lost its strength and it slouched over with only a few sparks shooting out.

Louis and Doug slowly approached the robot, the fire on its back was mostly out as they both gave it a tap to see if it was still active, but there was no response.

"Rust in peace, you big bot. I'm amazed it lasted this long." Louis said as he pat its arm.

"Why are you showing such interest in something that almost killed us?" Doug asked him.

"I tinkered around with machines in my Vault all the time. So I just like robotics..." Louis shrugged and climbed to its back. "And besides, it was only following its programming. Nothing that can be done about it." he reached into its opening and pulled out a yellow cylinder with a gray top and smaller end. "The fusion core is intact! This will bring us big caps!"

The two started taking out anything useful from the robot as the Ghoul man approached them. Doug was quick to notice him and placed a hand on his holstered shotgun. "Hey, not that we're ungrateful for the help, but this is our kill! And we don't know you..."

The Ghoul man slowly reached into his inner jacket pocket and pulled out the pack of cigarettes and put one in his mouth. He pulled out a flip lighter and lit it. "Go ahead. I don't have any use for it." he said before taking a drag. His voice was surprisingly not as gruff and scratchy as most Ghouls voices are. "And I don't want anything in return for the help I gave you, if that's what you two are thinking."

Louis pulled out another circuit board and a fuse. "And we appreciate the help. Right, Doug?" he looked to him before hopping off the leg. "My name's Louis. And he's Doug, as I just said..."

The Ghoul man chuckled a little before taking another drag. "Your friend is a tad too trusting. But I suppose a Vault dweller would be ignorant of the world outside." he pointed to his Vault number.

"A tad too trusting is a very strong word." Doug said as Louis flipped him off for a moment before moving to the leg. "But he's surprisingly adapting quick. So there's hope for him that he won't be killed in the worst way possible."

"In that case...since we're giving names, mine's Joe." he introduced while flicking the half finished cigarette to the ground.

"Isn't that a bit of a waste?..." Doug looked to the smoking cigarette.

"Eh." Joe shrugged. "I've been trying to quit for the last hundred years. I've gotten down to only one every now and then."

"So, is there more to your name? I don't mean to pry..." Louis asked as he pulled a joint from the leg.

"I just prefer Joe. It's easier that way." he responded.

Louis started tugging at a armor piece near the front. "Doug! Help me out here, the good stuff is in the front!"

Doug walked over and grabbed the armor piece and started tugging with him. The two pulled as hard as they could, but the armor piece barely budged. It was wedge in hard and caked with rust.

Joe sighed a little and walked over and grabbed another section of the armor piece. "Here, six hands are better than four."

The three then started tugging the armor piece with all their strength as more and more rust chipped off. They gave one last hard pull and ripped the metal piece off. Louis cheered in joy and started stripping out any tech pieces that could be of value as the two put the parts in their backpacks to sell.

"Thanks again for the help. We're really grateful." Louis said as the two turned back to the road.

"Eh, think nothing of it. Just be careful, smooth skins." Joe said as he started walking ahead.

Louis looked to Doug, he was looking at the fallen sign that said they were leaving Maine. "Well, here we go. I'm finally leaving the state I was born in. And I might not come back for who knows how long. Either I wander around for the rest of my life or end up dead in a ditch with the animals having their share of me..." he frowned and trembled a little in worry.

The Vault dweller walked over and placed a hand on his shoulder. "Look, you don't have to come with me if you don't want to. I would never force you or anyone to do something they don't want to. This is my mission and no one else's. whatever you want to do, you have my support."

The Wastlander chuckled and turned to him. "Although I'm glad you're giving me the option to turn back, I always keep my promise. And when I said I would help you find what's at the end of the signal, I meant it. No matter the cost." he started walking ahead of him. "And besides...you would have been killed a thousand times over by now!"

"Isn't that a bit of an exaggeration?! I'm not that helpless!" Louis turned and started following him.

"Fine! A few hundred times. Now move your ass before something else tries to take a bite out of it!" Doug laughed.

The two soon passed an old faded sign that said, 'WELCOME TO NEW HAMPSHIRE'.

An hour and a half had passed as the two walked down the beaten road of Gorham. They passed a number of old road signs that were faded and barely recognizable. Louis happily took in his new surroundings as Doug kept his eyes on Joe. The Ghoul was several meters to their side, and the experienced Wastelander couldn't help but feel something was off about him.

"Man, I still can't believe Maine and New Hampshire look mostly okay. My Pip-Boy has barely picked up any radiation signals. If it wasn't for all the ruins and deadly people and creatures, this land would be quite pleasant to wander around in." Louis said to break the silence.

"I've been told cities near the coast got hit the hardest by the bombs during the Great War." Doug said while not moving his eyes from Joe. "I guess places like these weren't high on the list of states to bomb the shit out of..."

"From what I've seen on the recordings, places like Washington D.C. were hit the hardest. They even call it the Capital Wasteland. Hard to imagine anything or anyone able to live there after something like that..." Louis sighed and crossed his arms drearily. "I've noticed you haven't taken your eyes off of Joe. He hasn't done anything to be a threat."

"Haven't you learned anything since we started? You can't trust every person you come across. I know you're friendly and all, but out here in the open, there's always something out here that can kill you a thousand times over." Doug turned his head to him, only to see that he was walking over to Joe. "Goddamn it, Louis!"

Louis approached Joe's side as he took notice to him. "So, by the look of your police badge, you used to be a cop in Ohio. That means you were around before the Great War!"

Joe looked down at his chest and saw that the badge was sticking out. He cursed himself and stuffed it back in. "Yeah, but that doesn't matter anymore. That was a long time ago and I don't care much about it anymore..."

Louis was suspicious of his words. If the police badge didn't mean anything, then why would he still carry it around for the last 213 years. "I see. In that case, where else have you been? Since you been around for so long." he asked next.

Joe took a minute to think about. "Eh, been back and forth on this side of the country and coastline. Even got so far as Texas and Arizona once or twice. But that's the thing about us Ghouls, we got a lot of time on our hands. That and a head full of bad memories. Things I really wish to forget..."

"And if you don't mind me asking..." Doug joined up with them. "Is there a reason you're on the same path as we are? If I had to guess, you were in the same town we left."

"This country may be in ruins, but I like to think we still have the freedom to go wherever we want." Joe glanced to him. "I was planning on leaving Maine anyway. I had a feeling I wasn't very welcomed in a place like that. Shocking..." he snorted.

"Then those people are a bunch of idiots." Louis frowned in anger. "They shouldn't treat people like you because of the way you look. What happened to you isn't your fault, it was the idiots that launched the nukes that plunged this world in chaos. The way I see it, you're still a Human being. Just with more wrinkly skin and a very long life."

Joe stopped in his tracks for a moment, it was the first time in a very long time that he had been treated with any respect or decency from someone that wasn't a Ghoul like him. He looked to the west, knowing that the people he was with were not too far from them in the ruined forest. He was about to say something to the two before deciding against it and continued walking.

Not long after, the three walked up the small slope and saw their destination. A small settlement that was built on the ruins of an old town from before the war. They renamed it The Long Field.

"Alright, we made it before nighttime." Doug smiled at the town.

"With an hour to spare too." Louis said as he scanned the area with his Pip-Boy.

They suddenly heard footsteps coming their way and turned to see seven men approaching them, armed with guns and clearly not holding them for protection.

"For the love of god. Can't we go anywhere without trouble trying to crawl up our asses?" Doug reached for his shotgun.

"If they want trouble, we can give it to them. Right, Joe?" Louis said as he reached for his assault rifle, only to have the end of a revolver put to the side of his head and froze up in fear. "Please tell me that another one of these guys snuck up on us. And that guy just happens to have the same gun as Joe..." he slowly moved his head enough to see the Ghoul with a deep scowl on his face.

"Sorry. But it's not personal." Joe said with remorse.

"Well, well, well, Joe! You actually managed to get them off guard!" one of them laughed. "Not bad for a Ghoul!"

The leader of the group approached them. He wore surprisingly clean clothes with a duster jacket and bandanna on his head. "Indeed. Well done, Joey." he called before looking to their captives. "And as for you two, I suggest you get your hands up."

Louis and Doug slowly raised their hands. "What is this? We have done nothing wrong to you people..." Louis stated.

"You're not getting shit off of us!" Doug glared at him.

"Shut the fuck up before I put one between your eyes!" one of them snapped and aimed his rifle.

"Now, hold on! No need to kill anyone yet..." the leader chuckled. "Where are my manners? My name is Chris, and these are my band of hired hands. And we are looking for a vast fortune that will allow us to retire for life."

"Wow, this is so fascinating..." Louis rolled his eyes with a deadpanned tone. "And what does all of that have to do with any of us?..."

"Straight to the point! I like that. You keep surprising me, Vault dweller." Chris clapped his hands. "You guys might know this part. A month ago, one of my associates just happened to be in your town to get some supplies-"

"It was me!" one of them that had a pair of goggles and crooked teeth laughed and raised his hand.

"I'm telling the story here! And I'm still pissed at you for blowing most of our caps on porno mags! And tried to keep them to yourself!" Chris yelled at him, making him step back in fear before continuing. "And he saw you two and your Overseer and town leader. You guys were talking about the location being transmitted on your Pip-Boy. A device from before the Great War. And if there's anything good about the past, it's all the amazing technology they left behind. The kind of tech that would give us mountains of caps!"

"Then your friend is as stupid as he looks! Clearly he assumed too much. We don't know what's at the end of the signal. And odds are it could be very dangerous. Something a bunch of idiots who are halfway on the path of being reduced to Raiders wouldn't know how to use!" Louis was about to take a step forward as Joe poked his gun at his head.

"Don't try to talk your way out of this. We've been watching you from afar, you're on the path to something very valuable." Chris pointed to his device. "Now, hand over the Pip-Boy, and maybe, just maybe, I'll let you guys go with your boxers on."

Louis sighed and reached for the lock of his Pip-Boy.

"Louis! Don't give it to them! They'll kill us either way!" Doug said to him as one of the bandits pointed a handgun at him.

"It's alight, Doug. It's not worth getting killed over. And we're not in a position to argue." Louis took the Pip-Boy off and handed to Chris.

Chris smiled as he looked at the device with a big grin. But suddenly, the Pip-Boy beeped a few times and powered down as if it was dead. "What?! What is this! What did you do, you fucking bastard!" he pulled out a gun and pointed it at him.

"That Pip-Boy is linked to my biometrics! only I can use! If it's removed from my arm or I die, it's just an ugly paperweight!" Louis smirked at him. "And trying to hack it or open it up will cause the self-destruct to go off. And you don't want to be within twenty feet of that! And trust me, there's nothing out here that can activate it by force! In other words, you need me alive!"

"So we drag you along! Simple enough. That just means we don't need your friend!" Chris pointed his handgun at Doug.

Louis quickly stepped in front of him. "And if you kill him, you still won't get shit out of me! Threaten me, torture me, I won't lead you one step in the right direction! So no matter how you look at this, we're at a stalemate until you make your move! So what's it gonna be? You gonna make a winning or losing move?..."

Chris frowned as his finger slowly pressed against the trigger. The air was filled with intensity, Chris didn't know whether to think he was bluffing or telling the truth. The leader then slowly lowered his gun and tossed Louis' Pip-Boy back. "Tie his friend's hands and get their weapons."

The bandits stripped Louis and Doug of their weapons. One of them with a scar on his cheek took Doug's shotgun and smiled. "Sweet! I've always wanted a sawed-off! Thanks, asshole."

"When I get my gun back...you'll be the first I kill with that..." Doug glared menacingly at him.

One of them walked over to Joe. "Since you got all chummy with them, you can take first watch on the Vault dweller. I'm sure an 'officer' of the law would make a nice watcher!" he chuckled.

Two of them poked their guns into Doug's back to make him move as Chris and a few others kept their eye on Louis while the rest kept watch for trouble. The bandits lead them away from the distant town. They walked for a bit until they reached a location that looked like it was the start of a quarry dig before the war. The area was dug a few feet into the ground with a number of rusted construction vehicles.

"Okay, this looks like a nice place to start." Chris said as he looked to Louis. "Now, bring up your Pip-Boy and start showing us the right way."

"Give me a moment." Louis raised his device and fiddled with the controls to buy time. He glanced over to Joe. "Nice group of friends you got there..."

"Please. As if any of us would be friends with a Ghoul!" one of them scoffed in disgust. "Everyone here is just a hired muscle. He's only been with us for a year."

"I just figured since you were an officer, some part of you would care about doing what's right." Louis ignored the man as he looked at the map that marked the quarry.

"I told you, that job hasn't meant anything to me in over two hundred years. And it certainly don't mean shit in a world like this!" Joe looked away with a groan.

"And yet you keep that badge around your neck! If it didn't mean shit to you, then you would have tossed it a long time ago!" Doug took a step towards him. "My friend might be an idiot sometimes, but he right, some part of you still cares about what you used to do a long time ago!"

"Shut your fucking mouth!" the one watching him shouted before hitting him in the back of the head with his rifle, causing Doug to fall to his knees.

"Doug, no!" Louis tried to reach for him.

Chris stepped in the way. "Don't get any ideas! You might have managed to make me spare your friend, but that doesn't mean we can't torture his ass if you don't start looking for the right direction!"

"Then you better make sure we got a lot of stuff! Because the signal is coming from the other side of the country!" Louis shouted at him, causing all of them to gasp.

"What? On the other side of the country?! You're lying!" Chris pulled out his gun and pointed it at Doug. "I swear, if you're lying, I'll kill him right here!"

"Why do you think we've been traveling for a month alone?! The signal is far away, do you think your men have it in them to go all the way?" Louis took a step closer to Chris, daring him to make the next move.

"Boss! We can't make it! We've only been between this state and the other our whole lives! We don't know what's out there!" one of them clamored.

"This is bullshit! We've wasted a whole month for nothing!" another whined.

"All of you shut the fuck up! He's lying to buy time!" Chris pointed his gun at Louis again. "You better tell the truth before I get really mad!"

"It's not that big of a deal. I've been back and forth a few times across this side of the country." Joe spoke, agitated by their arguing.

"Shut your fucking mouth, you rotting sack of crap! We all don't live as long as you do, you irradiated freak of nature!" the one with most of Louis and Doug's guns shouted at Joe as he went over and shoved him. "The whole country is full of monsters and freaks! Including Feral Ghouls! Not that you can tell the difference between either one!"

Joe clenched his hands and growled, he was pretty much fed up with them.

"Ooh, careful guys! I think he's turning feral. Which is okay to me, one less freak running around!" another said as they all began to laugh.

"Shut up!" Chris shouted before turning back to Louis. "Location! Now!"

"Alright! Come here and look, I'll show you!" Louis raised his screen as Chris got in for a closer look. Only to be smacked in the face with it and thrown off balance. The Vault dweller quickly grabbed him and his gun and wrapped one arm around his neck and pointed the gun to his head. "Now, unless you want your boss to eat a bullet, I suggest you all drop your weapons and let Doug go! Do it!"

One of them walked over and undid Doug's ropes and quickly dashed over to his partner. "Not bad, Louis. Now give us our weapons back!" he ordered them.

The bandits stood their ground with smiles on their faces. Chris chuckled at their situation. "I think you fail to see the problem. If you kill me, they'll shoot you two dead where you stand. Looks like all three of us are going to hell!"

Louis shoved the muzzle hard into his cheek "You first, asshole!"

They all suddenly heard a rumble and looked to the ground. A large crack formed as a mole-rat leaped out and bit the one carrying Louis and Doug's weapons by the neck. He screamed in pain as the mutant animal bit down harder, blood poured out from the wound before he fell to the ground dead. Three more popped out from the ground and attacked another one at once, he screamed for help before one bit into the back of his neck and killed him.

"Fucking hell!" Louis shouted as he shoved Chris away.

"Don't let them get away!" Chris shouted before more mole-rats came out.

The bandits shot at the creatures as Louis and Doug took cover behind an old truck. They couldn't flee without their weapons and ammo and supplies. Another mole-rat leaped and got another bandit in the neck, the ground was soaked in his blood as the rest shot the creatures down.

Chris fired several rounds into the last one with his backup gun. "Die! Die! Fucking die!" he shouted as his gun ran out. "Now then, look at it this way, that's three less parts of the loot we need to divide! And as for you two, I suggest you come out now! We got your weapons! You won't last long without them!"

"Fuck! He's right. And I really want my shotgun back." Doug peeked his head up a little.

"I can try to take them out with this gun. It's got a full clip." Louis suggested to him.

"They still got us outgunned. They'll shoot you down before you know it." Doug shook his head.

"Come on! Don't make us come over there!" Chris shouted as he spotted another mole-rat coming for them. "Shit. Just die already..." he aimed his gun at it.

But before he fired, the ground behind the mole-rat burst open, and a massive creature came out. It was a giant snake, covered in black and green scales. Like a monster from a horror movie, it lunged down and swallowed the mole-rat in one gulp. The creature took notice of them as the ground near it burst and three more came slithering out. And one of them was a mutant rattlesnake.

"Slithers and a Rattler!" Chris screamed in terror as the four snakes went after them.

The four bandits and Joe fired at the snakes and spread out to make themselves harder targets. One of the snakes got close to one and wrapped him up with its body. The man screamed and thrashed before he was crushed in moments. The snake quickly started eating him. Louis and Doug took this opportunity to get their weapons. The one carrying Doug's shotgun went to his dead partner to grab their stolen weapons. Louis punched the man in the face before he could take the assault rifle and grabbed it from him and pointed the weapon.

"Please! No, I don't want to die!" he begged him.

Louis raised his rifle up. "Lucky for you, it's not my style to shoot someone who's down." the bandit sighed in relief as Doug picked up his shotgun. "Besides, Doug promised he would kill you. And he always keeps his word..."

Doug checked his ammo for a moment and pointed his gun at him. The bandit screamed and begged for his life before he pulled the trigger and fired one shell as Louis gathered their weapons.

Chris turned and saw the two gathering their stuff and knew they would make a run for it. He aimed his gun at the two and was about to fire. "If I can't have that loot, then no one can!"

Joe managed to kill one Slither with a few rounds from his combat shotgun as he saw what Chris was about to do. The memories of him being a cop came back to him hard. How he promised to uphold the law and always have his partner's back. A friend that always had his back during those days. "Ahhh, screw it!" he sighed and fired at Chris.

Chris was grazed by some buckshot and started running to avoid the rest of the shells. Louis and Doug saw the Ghoul shooting at his leader as the one who really hated him shot down the next Slither and ran for him. Joe was hit in the back by the but of the man's rifle and knocked him to the ground.

"You damn Ghoul! I've been wanting to do this since the moment I laid eyes on you!" he cackled while aiming his rifle at him.

"I'm flattered...but you're just not my type..." Joe smirked, one last insult before going to his grave.

The bandit was about to fire as the Rattler slithered over and clamped its mouth over his head. The bandit was killed in moments with a sickening crunch before the snake let go. The mutant snake then noticed Joe and started slithering for him, its fangs dripping venom as he tried to crawl away.

"Doug, take care of the last Slither and Chris! I'll help Joe!" Louis shouted as he ran towards him.

"He double crossed us! Why are you helping him?!" Doug asked in disbelief.

"Because it's what I do!" Louis aimed his rifle at the Rattler.

Doug rolled his eyes and armed his Winchester rifle. Chris pumped a few more rounds into the Slither as it started to die from its wounds. Doug fired a few rounds at it to fully put it down as Chris tired to limp away. One of the bullets managed to get him in the leg as he fell down to the ground and dropped his gun. He tried to crawl for it as Doug stomped down on his leg to stop him.

Chris groaned and slowly rolled over to see Doug's rifle pointed right at him and chuckled with a smile. "Fuck..."

"Indeed." Doug nodded before firing two rounds into his face.

The Rattler was about to strike Joe as Louis leaped in front of it. He would have shot it with his assault rifle, but he realized they unloaded it and was forced to pull out his combat machete and swung at the snake. Its massive rattle shaking hard, clearly indicating it was pissed while dodging his swings.

"Only one chance! Better not screw it up!" Louis said as it was about to attack.

The Rattler lunged with its mouth wide open. Louis thrust his machete forward and plunged it into the snake's mouth as its fang jabbed him in the right arm. Blood spilled out as the momentum of the Rattler's attack plunged the blade into its head and slowly went limp as Louis pulled the blade out, blood from the snake soaked the ground as he turned to the Ghoul and held his hand out.

"You...you helped me? Why?! Why would you do that after everything that I done?!" Joe questioned him, the fact that there was anyone like him left in the world shocked him.

"What can I say? It's what I do..." Louis shrugged while helping him up. "And you shot at your leader. You're better than those assholes. And I..." his vision suddenly went blurry as he dropped his bloody machete.

Joe looked to his right arm and saw the wound. "No. No!" he grabbed Louis before he fell over and gently lowered him to the ground.

"Louis!" Doug called out as he slid to his knees and looked him over. "Come on, man! Wake up! Wake the fuck up! You dumbass!" he lightly smacked his cheek. He turned to Joe, anger burning in his green eyes. "This is all your fucking fault!"

"You're right...it is my fault. I'm such a fuck up..." Joe sighed in shame.

Doug pointed his shotgun at him. "Well guess what, you're gonna make it up to him and help me carry his ass into town! They must have doctor that can help!"

"He won't make it. Rattler venom can kill in minutes, but I know how I can help now." Joe quickly ran over to Chris' body and started searching his pack. "This asshole was always afraid of being bitten by a venomous animal. Something about his father dying that way." he found the pouch filled with anti-venom and ran back over to them and opened the pack. There was seven vials of antidote.

"They're all unlabeled! Which one's the right one?" Doug kneeled down with him.

"Give me a moment. Chris kept them unlabeled so they would be useless to anyone who stole it." Joe looked closely at the vials. "But I watched him organize them a few months ago, he always muttered to himself when he does that." he pulled out a greenish vial and then took the syringe and filled it up. "This is it. Antidote for reptile venom."

Doug pointed his shotgun to the back of Joe's head. "If he dies, you die. And I'm only digging one hole."

"Fair enough..." Joe nodded as he injected Louis in the neck.

Minutes passed as the two waited. Louis' shallow breathing started to get better and the color in his face turned back to normal. The sighed in relief, mostly Joe after Doug put his shotgun away.

"Good, you get to live...for now." Doug turned away and started looting the fallen bandits. "Now help me search these assholes. It's too late to head back to that town, luckily there's a mobile office over there that we can sleep in for the night."

The two quickly searched the bandits and gathered their weapons and ammo and supplies. The two then dragged Louis into the mobile office after making sure it was safe. Inside was an old desk and several cabinets and shelves. An old terminal computer was still on and giving a green glow as the two shut the shutters and placed Louis on an old sleeping bag that was in the corner. Someone else must have took refuge in it a long time ago.

The night was finally on them as they waited for Louis to wake up. Doug and Joe sat with an awkward silence before he spoke. "So why did you hang out with those assholes?" he asked the Ghoul. "They clearly didn't give a shit about you."

Joe thought about pulling out a cigarette before deciding against it. "Maybe because I am an asshole. And assholes end up with assholes. Truth is, I've been with a lot of groups in my years. And they either end up getting rid of me or die. In this kind of world, you can't pick or choose the people you're with. You gotta do what you can to survive."

"You're right. The world sucks ass. And someone like my friend would have ended up dead by now." Doug looked to the sleeping Vault dweller. "But...maybe the world needs more people like him in it. Because for one thing, I don't ever have to worry about him shooting me in the back."

Louis suddenly lunged up from the sleeping bag, coughing roughly and pounding his chest. "Drink..."

"Hey! Look who's back in the world of the living!" Doug applaud him. "Do you want your flask or water bottle?"

"Both..." Louis held both his hands out as Doug handed them over. He took big swigs from both for a minute. "Glad to see you're okay, Joe. Both of you."

"I'm alive because of you. You're the only person I know who stabbed a Rattler in the mouth with a machete. And here I thought I've seen it all in the last two hundred and thirteen years." Joe chuckled.

Louis stood up and stretched. "And I don't plan to do it again without a better plan. At least without a better plan." he walked to the door. "I'm guessing we're still at the quarry. And I'm very hungry after being bitten. I've always heard that snake meat tastes like chicken. You guys want any?"

"Why not? I'm starving too." Doug got up to help.

"I'll start the fire." Joe stood to help too.

The three butchered what they could from one of the snakes and cooked them over a fire. They then turned in for the night until morning came. Louis and Doug gathered their newly gained loot and started leaving the quarry.

February 18/2296

"I guess I'll be seeing you smooth skins." Joe waved to them before going off. "Good luck on your mission."

Louis suddenly grabbed his shoulder from behind. "Hold on a second, why don't you come with us?"

"Are you serious? He betrayed us!" Doug reminded him.

"And he turned on them, and cured me. I would be dead and probably stripped of my gear if it wasn't for him." Louis turned back to Doug with a raised brow.

"It's not like you would have needed it..." Doug muttered to himself.

"You really want me to come with you, after all that I've done?" Joe asked him in disbelief.

"With your experience, you would make a great friend on our trip. Plus, you've been a lot farther then both of us, we could use the extra help." Louis pointed to his badge under his shirt. "And unlike those guys, I won't turn on you just because you're a Ghoul. I still think your badge means something."

Joe placed a hand over his shirt where the badge was. The memories of being an officer came back once more, including his partner and the woman that wore one of the wedding rings he carried. "Oh...screw it. Why not? That's the thing about us Ghouls, we got a lot of time on our hands. And I don't have anything better to do right now."

"Awesome! Let's head out!" Louis checked his Pip-Boy for the right direction. "And the path is pointing back towards that town we were about to go to! So we can unload our loot for caps!"

Doug groaned a little. "Fuck it. The more the merrier. That just means I'll use less ammo."

"Then lead the way, Louis." Joe said before joining their side.

The two were now three. A new companion had joined their cause. A Vault dweller, a Wastelander, and now a Ghoul. The journey still had a long way to go, but now their strength has grown, and so too will the challenges of the Wasteland.


	3. RUN TO FREEDOM

**CHAPTER 3: RUN TO FREEDOM.**

" _For to be free is not merely to cast off one's chains, but to live in a way that respects and enhances the freedom of others." -Nelson Mandela._

February 22/2296

Four days have passed since the Ghoul known as Joe joined the two travelers. The three were still in New Hampshire and still didn't have a set path to follow. Needless to say, tensions were high.

"Screw you, Doug!" Joe shouted at him.

The three companions were on another highway road, passing old cars and trucks, finding nothing in any direction. The past few days were rough for them since they left the last town to sell the stuff they gathered from Joe's former group. But ever since then, they have encountered a number of problems. From various Wasteland critters, to several groups of Raiders with nothing on them to boot. And in doing so, they have gone through more than half their ammo, food, and water.

"No, screw you! And fuck you to that matter!" Doug shouted back at him. "You have your share of food and water!"

"Guys! Cool it, fighting won't do shit for our situation." Louis said as he checked his Pip-Boy. The device had not only kept marking the locations they passed, it had marked other locations around them, despite not going to them. All of it within several yards of the group. "I know it's been a tough few days, but fighting will just make us weak."

"Easy for you to say. You haven't used most of your ammo." Doug frowned at him.

"And your food too." Joe said before pulling out a cigarette.

"You said you were cutting back." Louis reminded him while still keeping his eyes on the screen. "And I've used a lot more of my ammo and food than you think. I just don't like to talk about it."

"We can't keep going like this. We're either gonna run out of ammo or food and be left defenseless out here." Doug gestured to the Wasteland.

"Then we're in luck. My Pip-Boy just highlighted a town nearby. We can see if there's any goodies lying around." Louis smiled to them.

"Or find more Raiders and god knows what else that wants to kill us..." Joe scoffed while putting his cigarettes away.

"Not like we got much of a choice." Doug sighed as they saw the ruined town ahead. "Let's go see what else wants to fuck with us..."

The three came up to the town in Lebanon, and just like countless others, it was desolate and full of decay. Yet the air was still and filled with the possibility of danger around every corner, the three had their weapons ready as they walked down the cracked road. The area looked like nothing had been around for quite some time, for everything had a layer of dust and dirt covering it. Doug and Joe had their Winchester and combat shotgun ready for an attack, Louis held one of his handguns and kept glancing at his Pip-Boy screen to check for movement. The wind blew gently, moving any form of garbage around with the buildings lightly creaking from age. Several minutes passed as the three spotted a Super-Duper Mart and ran for it.

"Alright! An old Super-Duper Mart!" Louis cheered as they approached the old doors. "I bet we can find something in there!"

"Hold it, we don't know what's inside." Doug reminded him.

"I bet a few caps there's Ferals in there waiting for any smooth skins to come in." Joe approached the window. "So, when in doubt, make them come to you." he banged the window a few times with his hand and stepped away from view.

The three waited a minute as Louis' Pip-Boy started showing four blips on the compass as they heard spine tingling shrieks. Four Feral Ghouls slammed against the window, they banged and shrieked with their raspy cries. Trying to get the smooth skins standing outside and slobbering with basic instincts.

"Told you..." Joe chuckled.

"Wow, I never would have thought of that." Doug complimented. "Where did you come up with that?"

"I saw it in an old horror movie long before the Great War." Joe started walking for the sliding doors before stopping a moment. "Or...I think it was a tv series. I'm not sure. It's been a long time."

The three went up to the sliding door, it didn't open because it didn't have power. The Feral Ghouls followed them, still trying to get through. Joe grabbed one door and slowly pulled it open just enough for one to slip out before slamming it shut. Doug was the first to take it down, the pick of his fire axe slammed into its skull before pulling it out as it fell to the ground. Joe opened the door again as another slipped out. It was completely naked and was clearly a man, making it awkward for the group as Louis chopped its head off with his machete. Joe pulled the door open once more, but the last two managed to push through and charged for them, Louis and Doug were prepared for it as they tossed their combat knives, hitting the Ferals right through the eyes and into the skulls before they collapsed to the ground.

"Sorry about that. They really wanted out." Joe shrugged to them.

"No problem. I just wish we didn't see that second one's...business." Louis shuttered a little. "I didn't know Feral Ghouls would really have genitals." he pulled out his combat knife from the one he killed.

"How do you think I take a leak?" Joe opened both doors.

"Don't you think there could be more in there?" Doug asked.

"If there was, we would have seen them by now. Or they could be locked in other rooms." Joe walked in with his combat shotgun ready. "Either way, roll the dice. Just pray you guys don't run into a Glowing One."

"Just be ready for anything. We're gonna be in tight spaces." Louis aimed his handgun.

The three started their search for anything they could salvage in the dirty and cluttered building. Louis turned on his Pip-Boy light while check the radiation levels, all of it safely low for them. Louis started by looking at the food section for anything eatable as Doug went to the outdoors section, he managed to find three flashlights and batteries for it and kept one for himself. Joe went to the medical supplies section, the shelves were pretty much empty, but he found a first-aid box that was unopened and some bottles of rad-x for the other two. A small radroach came out from under one of the shelves and started skittering towards Louis, he turned to it and gave it a kick that sent it flying across the room, its head crushed from the blow.

Doug saw the radroach flying and smiled as it hit the floor. "What did you do? I didn't hear any gunshots."

"I kicked it. Not worth the ammo. Speaking of which, I'm going to the hunting section." Louis passed by him.

"Don't hold your breath! Those places were one of the first things looted after the bombs dropped!" Joe called as he checked the open restaurant section.

"Hey, Joe, how old are you anyway? If you don't mind me asking." Louis called to him.

Joe took a moment to think. "I just turned...thirty-four a few months before the bombs dropped. So add to that, I'm now two-hundred and fifty-three. But at least I managed to keep my good looks after all these years."

"Wow, I didn't know there was Ghouls back before the bombs dropped." Doug said sarcastically.

"Eh, fuck you..." Joe scoffed.

"I'm surprised there wasn't any Ghouls before the bombs dropped. From what I've learned in class, just about everything was nuclear powered. You couldn't even turn on a radio without starting a small reactor." Louis looked at the hunting section and found that all the guns were not surprisingly gone. But he moved behind the counter and checked under it and found an unopened box of ammo. "Hey, Joe, I found some ammo for your rifle!" he called to him.

"Thanks! Found some medical supplies in the back!" Joe called back.

Doug checked the hardware section and found some prewar tools lying around. He knew tools were worth several times their weight in caps to the right merchants. He moved to a single register near the section and bust it open and found several stacks of prewar dollar bills. Another find that would go for big caps to the right collectors.

Joe was at the kitchen supplies when Louis came up to him. "Hey, Joey, look what I found!" he held up a box. "I found a few boxes of Blamco Mac & Cheese! I'll bet you haven't had this in a long time!"

Joe didn't turn to him. "You need milk and butter for that stuff. All of which are in very short supply. And don't ever call me Joey again..."

"Already ahead of you! I found some cans of powdered milk and canned butter, just add water! And I even found some canned sausages that we can mix in the mac & cheese!" Louis smirked and pulled the cans out. "Wow. They really canned a lot of stuff back then."

"You have no idea." Joe sighed as he found an old cooking knife.

An hour passed as the three decided to end their looting. They gathered their stuff and met near the entrance. Joe walked over to Doug and held out a bottle of prewar whiskey with a faded label. "Here. Peace offering and all that..."

"Thanks..." Doug took it.

Louis walked over with a smile. "Guess what I found!" he held up the bottles in a carry crate. "Six bottles of Nuka-Cola. And they're a little cool too."

Joe took one and looked at it. "Man, those idiots back then pretty much tried to replace water with this stuff." he looked at the bottle and pointed to the fins on the bottom. "They started making these bottles look like rockets a few years before the bombs dropped. But you can still find normal bottles here and there."

"No kidding. We passed like eight Nuka-Cola signs and vending machines on the way here." Louis opened his and drank it.

"If you guys are done with the history lesson, then let's go before trouble finds us." Doug slung his pack over his shoulder.

The three exited the Super-Duper Mart and started leaving town with their freshly acquired stuff. They found some ammo, canned food, some Nuka-Colas, medicine, and tools to try and sell off in the next town.

"You see, guys? Good things come to those who wait..." Louis smiled to them.

"And bad things to those who don't prepare..." Doug gulped down an open can of mini hotdogs.

"We should make our way to another settlement and see what's the best routes to go." Joe took a drink from a bottle of vodka. "If they have maps of the state, we can find the best highway that's the safest to travel."

"Why not travel off road if it's shorter?" Louis asked him.

"Bad idea on that. Especially if we're not from the area. A lot of people have been killed by cutting through forests and stuff like that." Joe answered.

"So we either deal with a lot of enemies on the road, or deal with a lot of enemies off road. Fucking wonderful." Doug grumbled.

Louis' Pip-Boy rumbled and looked at it. He was picking up several blips on the compass screen and started dashing ahead of them. "Hey, I'm picking up something! Might be trouble!"

"Louis, don't be running off like that!" Doug called to him.

The group rounded a building and peeked out to see who was showing up on the blips. They saw nine men with weapons, and with them was two Brahmins pulling a long cage on wheels. Inside the cage was eleven people, six adults, one teenager, and four children. All of them dressed in rags with bomb collars around their necks. The children were sobbing quietly with the people that might have been their parents or just took care of them. It was clear they were slavers and delivering their slaves to who knows where. Three of them near the Brahmins were arguing while looking at a map as a few stood guard while the rest teased the slaves.

"Monsters!" Joe grumbled quietly.

"I've seen slavers before when I was young. My dad and his group caught them as he put a bullet in each of their heads." Doug frowned.

"We can't let this happen to those people..." Louis reached for one of his handgun.

"Put your murder boner away! We need to think of a plan, charging in will only put us in danger." Doug turned to him, only to see that Louis was already making his way over while crouching. "Dammit! I am going to kick his ass one day!"

"Your friend is going to get himself killed. You know that, right?" Joe pulled out his combat shotgun.

"Probably. But at least he'll die doing what he loves. Being an idiot." Doug sighed as they stayed low to follow.

Louis moved from car to car, getting closer to the slavers. Thankfully they didn't spot him as he got close enough to see what they were dealing with. He looked to the cage and saw the slaves, but he noticed that the front of the cage was separated by another set of bars from the other slaves.

And in the separate section was a young woman, she was dressed in simple clothes that were much better than the others, but still a little old. Around her neck was a collar, but it didn't seem to have a bomb built into it. Her eyes were bright blue and could be seen from a distance, her hair was crimson red and made in a messy braid. Her skin was milky and soft, despite being in the filthy Wasteland, and she seemed to have some Asian features. Her face had a strong scowl, she watched the slavers, clearly wanting them to get close enough.

Louis started making his way closer to the slavers, he was about to make his move as another slaver came out from between some buildings after taking a piss and spotted the Vault dweller and pulled out his handgun. "Who the fuck are you?!" he yelled and pointed his gun at him.

Louis froze up and turned his head to him, he raised his hands and slowly stood up. "Hey there! How's it going?! I couldn't help but notice you guys had some slaves." he smiled brightly and started walking towards the man, who still kept his gun pointed at him.

"He's gonna die..." Doug groaned from their hiding spot.

"I call dibs on his assault rifle and Desert Eagle..." Joe raised his hand.

"Sorry if I seemed like I was sneaking around. I wasn't sure if you wanted to do business." Louis held his hand out. "But please, what's your name?"

The slaver lowered his gun. "Uh, Tom."

"No kidding, my name's Tom too! But I go by Tommy." Louis lied to the halfwit.

The leader of the slavers and some others walked over. "What the fuck is going on?! Who the fuck are you?!" he demanded while pointing his rifle at him, along with some of the others.

"Just a traveler with some caps to spare. I noticed your slaves and felt like buying some." Louis smiled to the leader.

"Maybe we're not in the mood to sell slaves! Maybe we'll just kill your ass and take what you got! Or better yet, take you as a slave! You can never have enough slaves!" the leader glared at him. Doug and Joe were about to get up and start shooting as he and the others started laughing. "I'm kidding. If you want to buy some, come on over. Less mouths to feed."

"Good to hear." Louis turned to where the two were hiding. "Duke! Josh! Come on out, we're in business."

Doug and Joe slowly got up. Both frowning at him for exposing their hiding spot. The three made their way over to the cage and started looking at the people inside. The redheaded woman raised a brow at them, she could tell right away that they were not looking for slaves. She kept a closer eye on the men, waiting for an opening.

"Okay, the adults are two hundred each, the mouthy teen bitch is a hundred, and the little brats are fifty each. Which one do you want?" the leader asked as he pointed to everyone but the redhead.

Louis pretended to be thinking it over. "So fifteen hundred for them all. Easy math." he said. Some of the slavers tried to count to see if he was right.

"Wait, are you saying you want to buy them all?" the leader looked at him baffled.

"Boss, can we sell them all here to some traveler?" one of them asked.

"Uh, Tommy, I don't think we can afford them all..." Doug said through gritted teeth with a nervous grin.

"Hold on, you didn't give me a price on the redhead." Louis pointed to her.

"Sorry, but she's not for sale. Our leader likes to keep her as...special company." the leader turned and smirked at her.

"I don't mean to be nosy, but why is she not with him if she's so special?" Louis looked back to her.

The leader of the group frowned. "We were tasked to move her and the rest of these trash to another slaver location while our boss deals with some 'Liberators' that are causing problems! Now, are we gonna do business or what? Because if you guys don't have the caps, then fuck off before you join them in the cage!"

Louis turned to his friends and winked. "Alright, chill. Let me just search my pockets. We got the caps." he was about to grab his handgun.

"Hold it! You're a goddamn Vault dweller!" the leader pointed to Louis' jumpsuit with the number 96 at the left.

"Uh, yeah, is that a problem?" Louis' eyes darted around.

"You're fucking right it's a problem!" the leader growled at him. "Almost two decades ago in the Capital Wasteland, a Vault dweller fucked us over! That cocksucker pretended to work for them, even used their Mesmetron to recapture the escaped slaves and send them back! But after that fucker brought all the slaves back, they welcomed that pieces of shit into Paradise Falls, the Vault dweller killed them all before they could put up a decent defense! That motherfucking Vault dweller even turned a fighting slave they had against them and joined with the rest of that Vault dweller's followers! I think the whore's name was Clover or something! And to add insult to injury, that fucker later ruined our most lucrative trade with the leader of The Pitt! The Vault dweller overthrew Ishmael Ashur and freed the slaves! That piece of shit destroyed our best foothold in the country and set us back for years! We're the laughingstock of the other slaver clans! And to top it all off, my little brother was one of the people killed when that Vault dweller attacked Paradise Falls! So in other words...we don't deal with Vault dwellers and anyone they're with!"

Louis groaned with worry. "But I'm not associated with that Vault dweller! I swear! We're from Maine! We have never been close to the Capital Wasteland! Here, we'll give you two thousand caps for them all, except for the redhead!" they were screwed now, he reached back and grabbed his handgun and fired at the leader, hitting him near the heart and shot three more in the head.

Doug and Joe were surprised by his sudden action as the slavers reached for their guns as the slaves took cover as best they could. The three started running for a nearby car and duck down. Joe was about to return fire with his rifle as Louis stopped him from firing.

"What are you doing?! I had a clean shot!" Joe shouted at him.

"You can't risk hitting the slaves!" Louis argued.

"What the fuck were you thinking?!" Doug snapped.

Louis peeked over for a moment. "Me? Why didn't you guys fire?! I winked for you guys to be ready for my signal! Reaching for my guns was the signal!"

"How the fuck we're we supposed to know that?! We have never done anything like that!" Doug shouted over the gunfire.

"Guys! Argue later! Kill these fuckers first!" Joe said as he shot one in the head with his rifle. "Fuck yeah!" he slid the bolt to load a new one.

"I'm sorry! I thought I was being clear! You always told me to be ready for anything! I just thought you would catch on!" Louis apologized.

"We'll make battle plans later!" Doug poked his head out and shot down one with his Winchester.

One of the slavers got to close to the redhead's section of the cage as she leaped into action. She grabbed his knife by his belt and grabbed his head and pulled him into the cage and held tight. "Burn in hell, you slaver piece of shit!" she said before slitting open his throat, blood sprayed out as the other slavers saw it.

"You fucking bitch!" one of them shouted, all of their attention on the cage.

"Now's my chance!" Louis leaped up from his hiding place and aimed. He activated his V.A.T.S. and took aim at the last three and highlighted their heads, all of which had high chances to hit them with fatal shots. He activated his action points and fired, all three shots flew and hit the slavers in the head before they even knew it.

The slavers were down. The three walked over to the slaves as Louis found the key on the leader and opened the cage. The slaves poured out and thanked them, tears of freedom fell down their faces. They were hugged tight by each one as Louis found the key for the bomb collars and deactivated them. He then went over to the closed off section of the cage to release the redhead. She got out and stretched, he was about to undo her collar as she snatched from his hand and did it herself.

"Thanks..." she softly spoke.

"I was just doing what's right. Those bastards got what they deserved." Louis smiled as he gave one of the people his canteen for them to share.

"Hey, Louis, I'm glad we did what we did and all, but now we have twelve people with us. What are we gonna do?" Doug asked as he looted the fallen slavers. "Only twenty caps? No wonder they were wanting to sell."

"He's right, we can't care for everyone here." Joe pointed out as he showed the kids how to loot. "That's right, kids. Always check the back pockets too. Leave no side unchecked."

"Excuse me." one of the men approached them. "Before I was enslaved a few years ago, I traded with a nearby settlement. I heard they welcome runaways in. We can go there and start a new life!"

"If you know the way, then we'll go there." Louis said as he went to the Brahmins. "We can sell all our loot and these two as well." he started petting one of the heads. "Does that sound nice? You two don't have to pull slave carts anymore! Who's a good Brahmin? You are! Yes you are! Who's a good mutant cow? Oh, wait, you're both male! That makes you mutant bulls!" he petted them both as they mooed.

"Can we just lock him in the cage and leave it behind?" Joe sighed.

The grouped gathered the weapons and other loot from the slavers and started leading the Brahmin to the settlement. Unknown to them, the first one Louis shot was still barely alive.

The walk took less than an hour as they saw the handmade sign calling the place Gray Slate. It didn't have much of a wall, but it had more than enough guards to compensate for the defense.

"Look at that everyone. Your new life begins here!" Louis said as they saw some people come out to greet them. "And look at that! We got a bit of a welcoming committee too!" the woman that was leading them pointed a handgun right at his face. "Not good!..."

The other guards aimed at Doug and Joe as they reached for their guns. "You slavers got some balls to come to our front step! Or you're just fucking stupid!" the blonde woman shouted.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa! We're not slavers! I swear! We killed the slavers and freed these people and brought them here to start anew!" Louis panicked with a nervous grin.

"Ma'am! It's true, these men saved us!" one of them approached her as the children pleaded with her too.

The woman looked them and lowered her gun. She then turned to her men and told them to lower their weapons too. "Well, I never thought I would see someone save a bunch of slaves for no reason." she held her hand out to him, he shook it in return. "My name is Yolanda. Welcome to our settlement, I gather you guys want to sell the Brahmins. And that cage can be melted down for scrap."

"We also have their bomb collars. You guys can make some explosives out of those." Doug held the collars up.

"Come on in. We'll give these people a home and work. And as for you three, we'll treat you as honored guests and get drunk!" Yolanda said to them. "Your Ghoul friend can come in too. All are welcomed here."

"You had me at getting drunk." Joe smiled to her.

The three and the former slaves walked into the town, the redhead stood still for a moment before looking back to the old town in the distance. She knew she needed to leave as soon as she could, before the one who kept her prisoner for many years started looking for her.

The inside of the town was quite lively, the people quickly caught wind of what happened and greeted the three as well. Louis shook several people's hands as the redhead approached him. "Sorry if I seemed ungrateful earlier. I thank you for freeing the slaves and me. Take care of yourself."

"Wait! Are you leaving here with nothing?" Louis asked her in confusion.

"I can't stay here. The boss of that group will be pissed he lost his slaves, but he's willing to brush them off if it means getting me back. I'll only endanger the settlement and the former slaves." the redhead started walking towards the entrance.

"Hey, you can't go out there without so much as a cap or knife." Doug said to her. "And with the way you're dressed, you'll only attract the wrong kind of attention. Or maybe the right one..." he smirked.

"I'll manage. And I rather die then go back to being his slave. Now go get drunk and celebrate. Glad to know there's actually some good people out there." the redhead said before continuing.

Louis quickly went over and grabbed her shoulder. "I can't allow you to go like that."

"I'm not a slave anymore. I can go wherever I want!" she frowned at him.

"I know you can, but please, allow me to buy you some gear and weapons. It doesn't matter how tough you are, the problems out there will get you." Louis looked to her sternly with gentle eyes. "Please. I insist."

The redhead sighed. "You won't take no for an answer, will you?"

"Louis, buying a lot of weapons and gear can be expensive." Doug pointed out to him.

"It's my caps, I can do what I want with them. You guys just sell the Brahmins, cage, and weapons." Louis looked to him for a moment. "Now come on. That shop over there has weapons and clothes."

The two went to the building with the stuff on display behind the window as Doug and Joe went to sell the animals and gear. Louis and the redhead walked into the building and looked around, the floor had racks of clothes, shelves full of various items and supplies, and there was a glass case counter where the owner was sitting with all the weapons and ammo behind him. The redhead started looking over the racks for new clothes, she started by getting new underwear and looked for clothes in her size. She found enough stuff and went to the changing section, the curtain covered her from view, but the top was open enough for her to look out.

She started by putting on the new underwear and tossed her old clothes aside and started putting on the new leather black pants and black top with short sleeves that exposed her navel. She put on a thick top that covered the rest of her torso before throwing on a medium sleeved jacket with leather pads on the shoulders and elbows with metal pieces woven in for extra protection with a few zip pockets. She slipped on some combat boots that went up to her knees, the one on her left had a compartment for a knife. She slipped on some metal guards that covered her forearms and black gloves with the thumbs and trigger fingers exposed. She then slipped on a belt with several pouches all around it.

"Why is he helping me?" the redhead quietly asked herself. "Does he want something from me? All this stuff won't come cheap, and he's offering to buy me weapons too. He can't be doing this out of the kindness of his heart." she looked to see him checking the shelves and picked up a bobble head.

Louis flicked the head a few times before it popped off. He panicked and caught the head and quickly put it back on and placed it back on the shelf before the owner saw and pretended to continue browsing the shelves.

"I'm surprised he's last this long." she shook her head. "But there's no point in turning down this stuff. I hate to admit, but I really wouldn't last long out there." she emerged from the changing room as Louis spotted her.

"Hey, you look great in that stuff!" Louis waved to her. "Now you need some weapons before going out to the Wasteland."

The two walked up to the counter as the redhead looked at her options. "I'll take that .223 pistol. The 12.7mm SMG and 10mm SMG. And that bow and arrows." she pointed to each weapon.

The clerk smiled and brought out the weapons she ordered and looked them over. The .223 pistol's green light lit up on the side as it was loaded, the SMGs were loaded before she checked the collapsible bow and gave the string a few pulls to test its strength and slung the quiver filled with thirty arrows on her back. She then placed all the ammo she could carry in the pouches and placed both SMGs behind her waist and her handgun in a side holster.

"So with the weapons, ammo, clothes, that will all be...six hundred and fifty caps." The clerk said to them.

"Sure thing..." Louis looked into his pouch and noticed he was a tad short and muttered. "Oh, great..."

Luckily, Doug and Joe walked into the store. "There you are, Louis. We sold those Brahmins to a farmer and the cage to a metal worker." Doug held out a stack of tied caps. "We got eleven hundred for both Brahmins, and eight hundred for the cage. So here's your cut, a thousand caps. We'll sell the weapons later."

"Doug! You're a lifesaver!" Louis smiled and took the caps.

"Why, did you break something?..." Joe frowned at him.

"No!" Louis panicked before turning to the clerk and gave most of the caps to the clerk. "Thanks again, sir. Let's go, guys!"

The four started walking down the dusty street before the redhead stopped walking. "So be honest, why did you buy me all this stuff? Do you really expect me to believe that you spent most of your caps just for the hell of it?" she asked him.

"What? I just got you that stuff because you needed it." Louis defended.

"Yeah right! A Vault dweller that just happened to free some slaves and then bought me a lot of gear and weapons because you wanted to?!" the redhead scoffed and assumed she knew what he wanted. "Oh, I get it now. How could I have been so stupid? Alright, let's go. Where do you want to do it?..."

"Do what?..." Louis asked, worried where this was going.

"Don't play dumb! Just say it, you want me! Is that it?" she stepped closer to him, she was only an inch shorter than him. "If that's what it takes to make us even, then fine! I have nothing else to offer other than the clothes on my back, which you bought by the way. Because anything is better than that bastard who enslaved me!"

Joe cleared his throat. "Does he really look like the kind of guy who would ask for such a thing?"

"Of course he wouldn't, Joe." Doug said while looking at him. "And if he did I'd kick his teeth out."

"Let me make one thing clear. I didn't get you that stuff to make you owe me! Especially for... _that_. I did it because the world is full of assholes! And I just don't want to add to the list by being like all the other selfish people out there!" Louis sighed and looked around for a moment. "Look. If you're worried about that guy finding you, then why don't you come with us?"

The redhead blinked a few times. "What? Come with you guys?"

"Not in the sexual way! Just saying. I mean, we're heading across the country. That way, you can lose him and we can have an extra hand on our journey." Louis suggested to her. "How about it? What's your name anyway?"

She sighed a little before answering. "My name is, Victoria Evans." She answered, having to think on her last name for a few moments.

"Victoria. That's a beautiful name." Louis said, making her smile a bit to herself.

"If we're done with the feelings, I'm gonna go get shitfaced." Joe smirked and started walking to the bar. "Come on, Doug. I want to see you pass out."

"Not if you pass out first." Doug challenged him.

Louis started following them before looking back to her. "Hey, just think it over. Whatever you decide, I wish you luck. We'll be in the bar, Victoria."

The three entered the bar with a number of people waiting for them. Victoria watched the three sit down as they started ordering drinks. She began to think it over, did she really want to go with them, or just use them for protection? She had been a slave to a madman for half her life, and only she knew what he was capable of to get her back.


	4. THE FOUR COMPANIONS

**CHAPTER 4: THE FOUR COMPANIONS.**

" _The best way to find out if you can trust somebody is to trust them." -Ernest Hemingway._

Louis, Doug, and Joe had already pounded down a few hard drinks, the people in the building bought them drinks and some food to thank them for freeing those people. The bar was lively as an old jukebox played some tunes that came all the way back from the 1950's, making them almost four hundred years old alone.

"I gotta say, Lou, we should free slaves more often!" Doug laughed as he drank down a shot of whiskey.

"I guess doing good deeds isn't too bad." Joe laughed before taking another shot of gin.

"Let's...show the Wasteland we mean business!" Louis hiccuped a little, clearly a tad buzzed.

The three continued to eat and drink for a bit as the people in the bar finally left them alone. Victoria walked into the bar and found the three, she took a seat next to Louis as the bartender came over to her.

"What would you like?" he asked.

"I actually don't have any caps on me." Victoria sighed a little.

"Just give her the usual. We'll pay." Louis said to him.

The bartender poured Victoria a glass of cooled whiskey. She took the drink and sipped it for a moment. "You don't need to buy me a drink." she spoke.

"You should celebrate for being free! Don't worry about it..." Louis drank another shot of rum.

"So tell me, you said you guys were heading across the country. Why would the three of you travel that far? Is it something of great value?" Victoria asked them.

"As you know, I'm from a Vault. 96 for that matter. My Vault was filled with thousands of robotic probes that traveled across the Wasteland, recording just about everything you can imagine, including the groundbreaking events that have happened ever since the bombs dropped. So we were never ignorant of the things that have happened since then." Louis took another drink. "A few months ago, one of our probes sent a high priority signal that demanded it be dealt with before shutting down. The supercomputer of my Vault revealed this special Pip-Boy that is locked on to the signal. For some reason it chose me to be the one to seek out the source of the signal, but I don't know why it's me. So for more than a month now we finally got out of Maine and started dicking around here in New Hampshire. Doug over here came from a town that was near my Vault, so we've had a nice peace going on for some years now and kinda knew each other since we were kids. Joe just joined us a few days ago after he left his old group behind.

"They tried to kill and rob us. Including Joe." Doug commented with another drink.

"Water under the bridge, Doug..." Joe scoffed.

"So here we are. Crossing the country with no idea how far the signal is. And even more so, we don't have a clue what it is." Louis had another drink poured for him. "It could be something before the war. It could be a stockpile of nukes about to go off any moment. Some kind of biological weapon that's starting to leak. A government experiment that is getting free. Hell, it could be something even worse than the Atom bombs. And these are all just speculation. All I know is we need to find out what it is and take care of it. And Doug was kind enough to come along with me. And Joe has a lot of time on his hands, so more help for the road."

Victoria couldn't help but laugh. "Wow. And here I thought I've heard it all. You're on a mission with little to no information on what you're doing or what it is you're looking for! And crossing the country alone is no easy task, it's next to impossible. Alright, I guess I'll join you guys."

"Really? That's great! I'm glad you're coming along!" Louis cheered her. "Here's to our new companion!"

Doug and Joe raised their glasses to her. "Welcome aboard..." the Wastelander toasted her.

"So, who is it you're running from? I don't mean to pry, but I just feel if we know this person, we can be prepared. But if you don't feel like talking, I understand." Louis cautiously asked her.

Victoria looked down to her drink. "The man I'm running from, his name is Jeremiah Savage. At least that's what he went by. He's kept me as his slave since I was eleven years old. He was around fifteen when him and his father attacked my village."

"I'm sorry about that. Do you...even know why he kept you like that?" Louis asked next.

"I don't know. He always told me he had special plans for me, that I was important to it. That's why he always kept me like a trophy." Victoria took another long drink. "His family has been in the slave trade for years, if not generations. And they have always been very strange, even to the other slave traders. Some say they have had tens of thousands of slaves since they started ages ago. I need to keep moving so he won't find me."

Doug quickly chugged down his drink. "Goddamn, what a sick world we live in."

"I've seen a lot of horrible things since the bombs dropped. But that is definitely some of the worst I've heard." Joe started gulping the bottle of gin.

Louis turned and looked her in the face, his "Victoria, I swear we won't let that bastard get you. He'll be running around in circles looking for you."

"Just please...don't get yourselves hurt over me. I don't want anyone else to suffer because of me." Victoria looked down to see that her glass had a crack. "That bastard stole eleven years of my life, I'm now twenty two, I don't know how I can start over."

"It's not too late to start over, you need to believe that." Louis had another drink poured for him. "Tomorrow morning we'll leave. If this Jeremiah bastard isn't expecting you anytime soon, then we can get a head start on them."

"Until then, let's get drunk!" Doug said as the bartender mixed him a Nuka-Cola and whiskey.

The four drank for a few more hours until they turned in at a nearby hotel building. Louis shoved the door open with Doug's arm slung over his shoulder. Joe staggered in with Victoria guiding him as they approached the four beds in the room.

"Oh...shit..." Joe hiccuped. "I think I drank too much." was all he said before falling face first onto his bed and passed out on the spot without getting under the covers.

"Bring it on, Wasteland! I'll kill everything that comes my way!" Doug flopped on his bed. "Hey, Louis! You're the best guy I've ever known!" he fell back onto the pillow.

"You're...drunk! Doug! You must be to say that!" Louis cackled before falling on his bed.

"I'm not drunk! You drunk!" Doug clapped and laughed before passing out on the spot.

Louis struggled to undo the straps of his boots, but he was clearly too drunk to do it. Victoria came over and undid his straps and helped take them off along with his trench coat before laying on his side, falling asleep in moments. She saw the big bold yellow letters of Vault 96 on his back, she smiled a little and sat down on her bed before taking off some of her clothes and got under the surprisingly clean covers and settled in.

"Maybe this won't be a bad idea. Maybe these guys aren't like the rest of the people out there that only think of themselves. Anything is better then being with Jeremiah." Victoria's buzz was starting to make her fall asleep. "And who knows, maybe I can find somewhere to start over."

The four slept easy through the night, mostly from drinking too much, until morning came.

February 23/2296

The guys woke up with pounding headaches, Joe ran to the bathroom and puked loud and hard. Doug staggered around with the room spinning like crazy to him. Louis dug out some aspirin and swallowed a few before giving the others some too. The four then sold the remaining weapons they looted from the slavers and most of the items they found in the Super-Duper Mart, giving them an extra three hundred caps.

They approached the gates of the town to find the leader Yolanda waiting for them, including some of the former slaves, now wearing new proper clothes. "Good luck to you all out there. And fuck up a few Raiders and other shitheads out there for me." she smiled as some of the former slaves thanked them again.

"We'll be sure to do that." Louis gave her the thumbs up. "You just make sure these people have a good life here."

"Will do. Good luck out there." Yolanda said to them as they left.

The group walked down the broken road to their next destination, thanks to one of the shops, they found a route that would lead them down into Massachusetts. They were still thinking of the next state to go to after getting into Massachusetts, cutting through New York would be risky. Any cities in the country are a haven for Feral Ghouls, Super Mutants, Raiders, and a whole bunch of other monsters and dangerous people. But for now, they followed the route that would lead them to the state border.

"So, in your opinion, how far do you think the signal is?" Victoria asked the Vault dweller.

Louis raised his Pip-Boy and switched to the map. The grid layered map showed a way point that kept moving every few meters they walked. It corrected itself depending on the direction they were moving. "I really couldn't tell you. The data on the probe's location was erased somehow. All we got is the signal that keeps transmitting, only adding more and more to the mystery..." he answered her.

"So is the probe sending the signal? What if someone finds it and takes it away?" Victoria asked next.

Doug's eyes went wide and stopped for a moment. "That's actually a very good question, Louis!"

"Don't worry! Wherever the probe is now before shutting down, it linked up to the location to send the information back to my Vault before linking to this Pip-Boy I have. It's the location that's sending the signal, which only strengthens the theory that it's a form of government base from before the war. And if there's anything we know about the government back then, it's that they have always done a lot of shady as fuck things." Louis answered him.

"So if these probes have been recording things since after the bombs dropped, how is it that nobody has ever shot them down?" Joe decided to ask.

"The probes are similar to those Eyebot models, but without so many antennas. And they have recording and broadcasting systems that transmit the data back to the Vault. They can link up to old terminals and download data, and they have cloaking systems in case anyone gets to close to their proximity. And the probes are solar powered too. We've only lost a few dozen out of thousands in the last two hundred years. So not bad at all if you ask me." Louis chuckled.

"Still seems like a long way to go. Can you have any of your probes scout the area and send us information on it? Get a lay of the land and all?" Victoria asked.

"We've tried that, but the probes act autonomously. We can remote control them to an extent, but our supercomputer controls them the most." Louis frowned a little.

"You're very brave to venture out into the Wasteland. Even as a kid, I've heard of Vaults being the most safe places anyone can live in." Victoria looked to the sky. "A place with no worries."

"It's a safe place to live, I'll give you that. But the Vault can only do so much, and it won't fix this world and its problems. Hiding underground doesn't help anyone." Louis placed his hands behind his head.

"Don't take this the wrong way, Louis, but I don't think this world can be helped." Joe sighed while looking at his hand. "Everything has gone to hell. Radiation alone could take hundreds of years to go away. And all forms of plants and animals are either extinct or mutated."

"You're right. Even the technology of a G.E.C.K. is next to impossible to come by, even if we had them all, to which we don't know how many Future-Tec even made, they can't fix this entire country. Let alone the entire world." Louis looked to the sky as well. "Or future is very bleak. Makes me wonder if what we do even matters."

"You think too much, Louis. One step at a time is all we can do in a world like this." Doug said as he looked up with them. "Right now, we just have to live in the now."

"I've been living in the now for more than two hundred years. It can be a bit boring." Joe pulled out a cigarette and lit it.

()()()()()()()()

Back in the ruined town, the leader of the slave group managed to stagger out of the place. His shirt was stained with blood and still had the bullet wound covered with his hand. He lost his step and fell to the dirt ground, gasping for air as footsteps approached him. The slaver looked up to see a man followed by several other slaves. He was a tall man with light skin, reddish eyes, dark blonde hair combed back into a small ponytail. He wore clean clothes with a dusty coat.

"Sir...Jeremiah. Please..." the man held his hand up.

"Where...is she?" Jeremiah frowned while kneeling.

"She...escaped. A Vault dweller, a Wastelander, and a Ghoul. They freed her and the slaves!" the slaver wheezed.

"I don't care about those slaves. All I care about is my Victoria!" Jeremiah grabbed his hair and pulled his head up so they could be eye to eye. "Let me tell you about the last few days. Me and my men have been chasing those Liberators around, only for them to give us the slip while killing a least a dozen of us and freeing more then thirty of our slaves. That's tens of thousands of caps lost in profit, and our reputation greatly diminished once more! And the only thing that calms my rage is looking into the beautiful bluebell eyes of my Victoria. And now I come to find that you have lost her. Needless to say, I'm very mad!" his voice seemed to be calm, but the slaves could tell he was about to snap.

"Jeremiah! Please, she couldn't have gone far! The Vault dweller with the number 96 on the jumpsuit must have took her and the slaves to that nearby settlement! We can find her there!" the slaver pleaded.

"Idiot! She's long gone! And the town will figure out who we are right away. And I don't care about losing the slaves." Jeremiah frowned with anger while pulling his hair harder. "All I care about is getting her back." he pulled out a handgun and pointed it at the man's head.

"Jeremiah! Please! Give me a chance! I'll get her back! I'll get you a hundred new slaves! Please don't kill me!" the man pleaded with tears falling down his face.

"She's very important to me! I need her by my side! And unfortunately for you, there's no place for a failure like you!" Jeremiah pulled the trigger and put a bullet through his eye. He then stood back up to the slavers behind him. "Spread the word! We're looking for a Vault dweller with the number 96 on his jumpsuit! The bounty for the three is five thousand caps each! And Victoria is to be brought back alive and unharmed with a reward of eight thousand caps! Move, now!"

A few of the slavers quickly ran off to return to base and give the orders.

Jeremiah and the rest of his group started following him to the next slaver location they needed to go. "Seems like you've ran into some troublesome people, Victoria. One day you will see how important you are to me as we build a new world where the strong reign over the weak. It's as nature intends it..."

()()()()()()()()()

The four passed an old road sign, they were nearing a highway intersection that extended into many intersections. They stopped for a few minutes to get an idea of their surroundings, Louis and Doug looked at a map while the other two kept watch for any trouble.

"Louis, all these sections that are marked in red mean the roads have collapsed. The guy at the store told me so." Doug pointed to the map.

"But these those sections are the quickest way to the next state. Maybe we should just travel under them instead of risk walking on the road." Louis tapped on the map.

"No, Raiders love skulking around on the lower sections of highways to jump anyone passing by." Joe said to them.

Louis sighed and folded the map. "Look, let's take a lunch break. We'll think of a route while we eat."

"I don't think we should use our supplies so soon. We could end up going for days without finding a town." Doug said to him.

"Guys, look over there." Victoria pointed ahead, they spotted a few rabbits eating grass near their hole.

"Oh, awesome!" Louis quietly spoke. "I can't believe we're seeing an un-mutated animals. Maybe the world isn't as fucked as we thought it is."

Victoria drew back her bow with an arrow. "Want to eat one? I can get it with ease."

"Well...eating one would be nice. Better than squirrel." Louis pondered for a moment. "But for all we know, these could be the only rabbits in the region. But we are hungry."

"Victoria, please get the big one. He'll take forever..." Doug sighed.

Victoria nodded and let her arrow fly. She hit the biggest rabbit of the bunch as the rest went back into the hole.

Louis noticed that the rabbit was hit and sighed. "Well...waste not, what not. At least that's how I think it goes..."

The four soon had a small fire going with the skinned rabbit cooking over it on a stick. The animal was finally cooked and ready to eat as they each tore a big piece to eat.

"Can't remember the last time I've had rabbit. But it's a whole lot better than some of the things I've eaten before." Joe chuckled before taking another bite.

"You haven't eaten people, have you?" Doug asked hesitantly.

"No, but there has been a lot of temptations since the bombs dropped." Joe answered.

"So now that we got full bellies, where are we going to go?" Victoria asked them with a mouthful.

"I think the south highway is the best to go. It's a little longer, but the map shows that it's the safest we can take." Doug suggested to them.

"Then I guess we'll go that way. Our options are limited, and I would like us to cross the state border before it gets too dark." Louis tossed the bones aside.

"We shouldn't put too much faith in a map that's more then two hundred years old..." Joe threw his bones away.

"Nothing much has changed. The only difference is the roads have fallen to ruin." Doug stood back up and stretched.

"Then let's go. We got a long walk ahead of us." Victoria said to them.

The rest stood back up. "Eager to get moving? We've put a lot of distance between Jeremiah, you don't need to worry..." Louis said to her.

"And we'll keep putting distance behind him until I fell comfortable. Now let's go." Victoria frowned and started walking as the three quickly followed her.

The group soon reached the highway intersection and looked it over, there were many elevated roads all over the place. A lot of the roads have collapsed and crumbled from age and the nuclear bombs, there was also a number of cars and trucks left behind. All of them rusted and unusable. It was quiet, which is always unsettling in the Wasteland. They occasionally heard the sound of concrete breaking and falling to the ground and metal creaking from movement. The four then started walking on the highway road, the ancient path crunched under their feet from bits of concrete and garbage scattered about.

The road was getting higher and higher up as the view to the land around them became more vast. Louis pulled out a pair of binoculars to get an idea of the land around them. "Nothing but Wasteland..." he sighed before putting them away.

"What did you expect?" Victoria asked him.

"I don't know. Just something to see. Anything to kill the boredom..." Louis sighed as he picked up a rock and tossed it.

The rock flew and hit into the grill of a semi truck. The truck suddenly creaked. The wheels started to move from the angle of the road as the parking break finally broke. The group heard a loud creak and looked up to see the truck and its trailer rolling towards them. The old vehicle plowed through any other car that was in the way.

"Move your asses! Now!" Joe yelled to them.

The group split into two and managed to reach the edges of the highway as the semi truck passed them, bits of concrete and metal went flying as the toppled cars rolled with it before all of it reached the bottom of the highway. The four didn't waste time as they knew what was probably next and ran up the road. The semi truck and cars then blew up into a mushroom cloud of radiation.

"Keep running! We need to get away from that!" Louis shouted over the ticking of his Pip-Boy.

The four were soon at the top of the highway where it was flat and breathed a sigh of relief. They looked to the remains of the vehicles, all of them now smoldering piles of twisted metal and parts.

"That...was too close..." Louis panted heavily.

"This place is a deathtrap! If that explosion didn't killed us, we've probably attracted every form of scumbag and creature in the area!" Doug looked around with his shotgun ready.

"Then we better not wait around. Nothing is going to get close to that radiation pile, at least the usual creatures and people." Victoria commented while walking ahead.

The four continued on, they were now on the main road of the highway, passing a number of vehicles while checking to see if there was anything of value or use. Joe found a pack of cigarettes in one car and some ammo. Victoria found a few cans of food, some with labels. Louis found an old revolver and a first-aid kit in a car, he suddenly heard something rumbling around in the trunk, along with a dry howl. It was a Feral Ghoul that had been stuck in the trunk for who knows how long, maybe even after the Great War. It thrashed about as they decided to leave it, there was no need to waste time and ammo on it. Doug opened up a car and paused, inside was the skeletal remains of two people in the driver and passenger seats, but the worst sight was the remains of a child and baby in the backseat. He sighed while reaching in and found some prewar money and toiletries in a bag before slamming the rusty door shut.

Night started to come as the four found a semi truck with an empty trailer and decided to sleep in it. Louis and Doug fully opened the back door up and checked the back as Joe took out some cans of food for them.

"So, looks like we got some mystery can roulette. Anyone want to take bets on what's inside?" Joe asked as he tossed them the cans.

"If it's all the same to you, I'd rather just eat..." Louis began opening his can with his knife. Inside was pork n' beans. "Oh, boy, we're gonna need to keep the trailer door open tonight..."

"And I got fruit cocktail." Doug held up his can. "I was in the mood for something sweet."

Victoria sat on the edge of the trailer loading section while eating. "Looks like we weren't able to cross the state border. How much farther do we need to go on this road?"

Louis pulled the map out and laid it on the floor of the trailer. "From the looks of it, we might have another half a day's walk before leaving this section and crossing into the next state. We seem to be making good time..."

"Only because we've been in small states and using the roads so far. Each state is gonna get bigger and bigger, and not all of them are gonna have roads intact to use." Joe dug out the rest of the food in his can before tossing it over the edge. "And who knows what else we'll come across."

"Then we better put a spring to our steps as we go!" Louis smiled as he dropped his can and drop kicked his can over the edge.

"Is he always this cheery?" Victoria asked them.

"You have no idea..." Doug grumbled.

"Oh, smile every now and then. I'll take first watch..." Louis stood up and leaned against the side of the trailer.

A few hours passed, Louis kept watch with the moon the only source of light above them. He sat on a car seat that had been ripped out from a vehicle and looked to the opening of the trailer to see how everyone was doing. They were sleeping as comfortable as they could on a cold trailer floor, but Louis glanced over to Victoria and noticed something was off. She was laying on her side and curled up, her face contorted in terror. She was clearly having a bad dream and Louis feared it was something awful, so he leaned over to wake her.

"Hey, Victoria! It's me, wake up." Louis whispered to not wake the others while shaking her by the arms.

"Victoria's eyes shot open and quickly leaned up. "What? What is it? Are we under attack?" she reached for her handgun.

"We're fine. I was just wondering if you wanted to start your shift?" Louis chuckled a little, he wanted to ask about her dream.

Victoria slid out of the trailer and stretched. "Sure, I think I slept enough. Are you gonna go to sleep?"

"I'm fine. I can stay up for a bit longer, two pairs of eyes are better than one." Louis took a seat next to her.

The two sat quietly for awhile. The moon hanged high over them as several creatures flew past it. Louis glanced to Victoria, her bluebell eyes fixed on the land below. He wanted to ask about her dream, but it would most likely be a very touchy subject. He simply crossed his arms and looked away down the road.

"Was I curled up or thrashing around in my sleep, that's why you woke me, right?" Victoria suddenly asked him.

Louis froze up for a second and grinned nervously. "Uh, what do you mean?"

"You're not very good at pretending. It's alright, you can tell me." Victoria turned back to him.

Louis sighed and rubbed the back of his head. "Yeah, when I checked on you guys, you were really curled up. I figured you were having a nightmare from your years of being a slave."

"It comes and goes. Maybe it will get better the farther I get away from them." Victoria looked down at the street.

"Look, it's okay to let it all out. You've been held captive by that maniac for years. These things take time to heal." Louis placed a hand on her shoulder.

Victoria chuckled a little. "What are you, a therapist?" she looked to him. "But thanks. That means a lot. You're not half bad for a clueless Vault dweller. And you still amaze me that there is good people out there willing to risk their lives to help others."

Louis smiled and looked at his Pip-Boy to check the time. "I read a lot of books in the Vault library. And I'm not as clueless everyone thinks, I just like to really think things through. Well, mostly." his smiled turned to a frown from seeing several blips on the compass as he heard some flapping. "And I believe we're about to have some unwanted company..."

Victoria heard the flapping too as one of the creatures came swooping down and landed on the rails near them. It was a giant bat around the size of a medium dog with wide red wings. Its face was twisted with large fangs and glazed white eyes. It shrieked at them, its echolocation showing their position as Louis quickly drew his machete and swung, splitting its head in half as it fell off the side to the ground below.

The two looked up to see more flying above them in a circling pattern. "Nightshriekers!" Victoria shouted as she ran back to the trailer and got her bow. One of them flew for her as she quickly turned and put an arrow through its head. "Right between the eyes!"

Another Nightshrieker came flying for Louis as he swung his machete again and hacked the wing off before running over and hacking its head off as it hit the road. Two more Nightshriekers came flying towards them near the trailer, they were about to hit Louis and Victoria from behind as the sudden sound of shotgun fire rang out from the trailer. Both bats were shot and hit the road hard as Doug staggered out from the trailer and rubbing one of his eyes.

"I'm trying to sleep, goddamnit!" Doug shouted while reloading.

Two more Nightshrieker came flying in from above. Joe stepped out with his rifle and fired at both, the bullets tore through the mutants as they slammed into the roof of the trailer. "I knew getting that night vision scope was a good idea..." the Ghoul smiled before loading a new bullet into the slide.

Several more Nightshriekers flew for the group, they gathered together and shot the mutant bats down with ease. The road around them was soon covered with more than a dozen of them, the danger had finally passed. For a time.

"So...there's giant mutant bats as well in the Wasteland. Neat..." Louis said as he wiped his machete on the hairy back of a Nightshrieker. "The surprises never cease..."

"And the flying rats woke me up. I hate being woken up so rudely." Doug yawned. "Well, I'm up now. You can sleep if you want, Louis."

Louis stretched and yawned. "Thanks. That fight really wore me out." he climbed into the back and lay down. "See you guys in the morning..."

"Sleep well, Louis." Victoria waved to him.

The Vault dweller happily fell into a deep sleep. Even at night, the horrors of the Wasteland never rested. Never relenting against anyone unlucky enough to come across those troubles.


	5. HIGHWAY TO BATTLE

**CHAPTER 5: HIGHWAY TO BATTLE.**

" _Any halfway clever devil would decorate the highway to Hell as beautiful as possible." -Criss Jami._

February 24/2296

The morning came over the Wasteland, Louis' Pip-Boy rumbled him awake. The group looked at the dead Nightshrieker on the road as Doug gave one of them a hard kick.

"Don't ever wake me again!" Doug shouted as he kicked it again, breaking a few ribs.

"I'm sure it's dead, Doug." Joe said to him. "Don't break your foot."

Victoria was kneeling in front of one and cutting out its fangs with a combat knife. "These things have some value. People like to use their fangs for all kinds of things." she pulled the bloody fangs out.

"Just goes to show that everything has a use..." Louis shrugged.

The four continued their trip through the highway, the sun beaming down on them. They were now in Richmond that bordered with the next state.

Their walk was peaceful, Louis turned the radio of his Pip-Boy on so they could listen to music to pass the time. Doug practiced his quick draw with his sawed-off, he rapidly pulled the trigger to fire both hammers of the unloaded gun. Joe hummed an old song to himself and put on a pair of sunglasses. Victoria did a few practice draws with her bow, and when she was done, she did a couple of practice shots with her empty .223 pistol.

"You're a little off." Louis suddenly said to her.

Victoria frowned a little. "What do you mean I'm off?"

"I mean your aim is a little low." Louis went over and grabbed her hands and raised them. "Always look down the sights, and keep your gun leveled. Have you ever even used a gun before?"

"I've gotten my hands on one a few before. But Jeremiah always got it away from me." Victoria sighed as she pulled the trigger a few times.

"You just need some practice with guns." Louis left her to continue. "But why did you choose a bow as well?"

"The village I came from used bows and such for hunting. My father was teaching me how to use one before..." Victoria lowered her gun. "Anyway, I was pretty good at. But I'm still a little out of practice."

"You took down a rabbit and several Nightshriekers in the dark. I'm glad you're on our side, I would hate to be on the other end of your arrow when you're experienced enough..." Doug chuckled a little.

"How much farther is this highway supposed to be? I don't like being on such a high and unstable platforms." Joe asked with a grumble.

"I checked the map a little while ago. We should reach the end in a few hours, as long as there isn't any problems along the way." Louis answered the Ghoul.

The group soon passed some cars and a semi truck with a full car carrier trailer, all of them rusted away. "Man, what a waste. Those cars were brand new and on their way to a car dealership." Joe sighed in disappointment.

"What's a dealership?" Victoria asked him.

"A place where people buy cars. I bought my first car when I was like...twenty or something." Joe answered her. "I wish I remember the model. It was a basic model, nothing too fancy."

Doug walked pass a piece of sheet metal propped against an old car and noticed something on it. He stopped in his tracks and saw a painting of a skull with an X on the forehead and a stitch pattern at the mouth. His eyes went wide and quickly grabbed his shotgun. "Holy fucking shit! Everyone, get down!"

They stopped and looked to Doug and saw the painting. "Oh, fuck! Is that what I think it is?" Louis pointed to the painting.

"The fucking Gunners! Those shitheads are nothing but trouble." Joe pulled out his combat shotgun.

Victoria loaded her 12.7mm SMG. "The Gunners? I've heard of them, they're like some kind of mercenary group, right?"

"They're well organized and trained. But in the end, they're just a bunch of Raiders with advanced weapons, armor, and robots." Doug answered her.

"Shit. Can we go back? Maybe take another route?" Louis asked as he crouched.

"That will take too long. We've already lost enough time as it is on this highway." Joe scanned around for movement.

"But if this is Gunner territory, why haven't we seen any of them?" Victoria asked, ready for anything. "Maybe they moved on to somewhere else."

"That's a possibility. But we need to stay low, I'll keep an eye on my Pip-Boy for any threats." Louis raised his left arm while pulling out his Desert Eagle. "This is one hell of a way to get off this highway."

"Then let's get going already. The last thing I want to do is get killed by a bunch of gun loving nut jobs." Joe grumbled with his shotgun ready. "I could really use a smoke right about now."

The four had no other choice but to press on. They had their weapons ready for an attack, even as far as the state they came from, a lot of people knew who the Gunners were. An order of dangerous mercenaries for hire that were known to attack strangers on sight if they didn't know them. Nobody knew how they managed to stay on top and get access to prewar weapons and armor and even robots. Another hour passed as the group finally saw the end of the highway that would lead back to ground level, and the only thing ahead of them was a number of cars and trucks.

"Look at that, guys! We're almost to the end of the highway!" Louis pointed ahead.

"Maybe the Gunners did move on after all." Doug sighed in relief. "Now let's get off this road before we-"

Two gunshots rang out across the land as Louis and Doug fell to the ground. The Vault dweller started bleeding from his right shoulder as the Wastelander clutched his left leg above the knee. They heard the sound of cheering and shouting and looked towards the wreckage pile. The cars in front started moving aside to open up the highway road, several other car piles were lowered by cables and revealed hidden structures and walkways of a fort building a little under two stories. Four gray flags were lowered on the front, all of them with the Gunners' symbol on it. The group then saw around fourteen people emerge, they were dressed in dull green armor of various types, some missing complete sets. And they all had advanced weapons, some dating back to before the Great War.

"Woohooo! Look at what we got here!" a man stepped out from the top of the structure. "Been awhile since we've had some fools come up on our highway!" he shouted, the other Gunners laughing at the group. He wore heavy combat armor from head to toe, and had two assault rifles on his back.

Joe and Victoria dragged Louis and Doug behind a concrete guard, they left behind a small trail of blood. They pulled out two stimpaks and injected them near the wounds, the bullets popped out from the wounds before they fully closed up.

"Fuck! That stings so much!" Louis hissed in pain, the area near the wound going numb for a minute. "And I just had my jumpsuit sleeve mended from that snake bite."

"This was a trap! The Gunners made it seem like they left the area and think it's safe! And then anyone walking down the highway would come right up to their doorstep." Doug cursed them while rubbing his leg.

"What do we do? We have to retreat or they'll kill us!" Victoria suggested.

"No. They will have a few snipers posted at the top." Joe warned before looking through the scope of his hunting rifle. "If their victims could simply run away, then nobody would come here."

"So we have the choice of getting shot to death by sniper fire, jump off the side of the highway to our deaths, or go to our deaths at their doorstep." Louis spoke and peeked his head up for a second. "Loving our options."

"And here's an option. I'm putting a bullet through that one asshole's head." Joe said before pulling the trigger.

His bullet flew and hit a Gunner on the lower platform. He fell off the side and hit the road at the foot of the fortress. "Patrick! They fucking killed Patrick! And we just recruited him a month ago!" the leader shouted with anger and looked back to the group. "Congratulations! You fuckers just dug your own graves!"

Several of the Gunners open fire on the group, the concrete guard was pelted with many bullet holes. The four ducked down from the gunshots as the guard started to crack.

"What are you doing?! Stop firing, don't shoot unless you can hit them!" the Gunner leader yelled at them.

"Strange, I'm getting the feeling they don't have much ammo. The Gunners aren't known to go easy on it." Doug pulled out his Winchester rifle.

"Maybe they splintered off from another group. I've always heard Gunners usually make their bases in better places than this." Victoria suggested and readied her weapon.

"That's possible, but we're not exactly loaded to the teeth either." Louis said as he looked over the guard for a moment. Another one tried to shoot him and ducked back down. "But maybe we can take advantage of that."

"How? There's a ton of them, they got better guns, and they got us pinned down!" Joe snapped at him. "I hate to say it, but there's no way out of this!"

"There has to be a way to push through! We can't give up now!" Victoria nock an arrow to her bow. "And I sure as fuck not going to die here!"

"I got it! We make their little pretend fortress collapse!" Louis spoke up with a grin. "All that extra weight must be putting a strain on the structure!"

"Oh, that's a great plan, Louis! Except...it's a fortress! And they have it heavily guarded! How the hell are we suppose to make it collapse?!" Doug snapped at him.

Louis pointed down the road to a gated section near the rails of the highway. "That's a service entrance. It leads right under the road where all the supports are. A few well placed bombs could send that fortress collapsing to the ground!"

"We don't have any explosives!" Joe frowned at him. "Unless you have them stuffed up your ass!"

The Vault dweller reached into his side pouch and pulled out a grenade. "These grenades have a timer on the bottom that can go up to three minutes. All you have to do is turn the knob and pull the pin. I got around a dozen of them, so take them all."

Victoria took the pouch and looked at the grenades. "Are you sure about this? If the highway collapses, we might not be able to pass it."

"That's a risk we're gonna have to take. Better to backtrack then get a body full of bullets." Louis checked his Desert Eagle. "I'll distract these guys, who wants to help me?"

"I'll give you a hand. I'm good at shooting from a distance." Joe volunteered.

"Alright. Victoria and Doug will plant the grenades, we'll draw their fire." Louis peeked his head above the concrete cover. "Hey! I want to have a dialogue with you bastards!" he called out to get the Gunners' attention.

"Why would we talk to you?!" the leader cackled. "We're gonna kill you and dumb your bodies off the highway!"

Doug and Victoria started crawling on the road, making sure to stay low and close to the vehicles. "I'm serious! I just want to know how you guys built that fortress out of junk!" Louis continued to talk.

"Watch your mouth, before I string you up by your guts and let the animals feed off you!" the Gunner leader shouted as he fired a few shots at them.

The bullets hit the concrete guard. "Fucking trigger happy asshole!" Louis growled before raising his arm over the cover and fired a few shots. One bullet managed to get a gunner in the head through the eye. "And there's plenty more where that came from! You want some bullets in you?! Bring it!" he yelled with a deranged tone.

"When I get my hands on you, I'm gonna shove a missile up your ass and fire you from a launcher!" the Gunner leader shouted and looked down to his men and women. "Shoot them! Destroy that pitiful road guard they're cowering behind!"

The Gunners opened fire on them, Louis and Joe quickly rolled to another hiding spot. The mercs thankfully didn't see that there was two of them missing for now. One of the Gunners fired at them with an LMG, the bullets breaking chunks off the road. Joe rolled out from behind a car and fired four shots off, he managed to hit one of the Gunners in the throat, followed by another in the gut, and one more in his hand as the last bullet missed. Louis leaped from his hiding spot and fired at the man with the LMG and got him in the side of the shoulder before ducking back down.

The Gunner leader picked up a sniper rifle and started shooting at them blindly. The bullets were of high caliber, each shot punched through the road with ease. Louis and Joe split up as more Gunners started shooting at them while they took cover, waiting for another opening.

Doug and Victoria made it to the service entrance, it had a rusty lock pad with chains tied around. The Wastelander pulled out some bobby pins and started working on the lock.

"I'm worried about them. They're outnumbered and outgunned. What if we don't collapse the road in time?" Victoria asked quietly and looked back to the gunfire.

"Don't worry, Louis is very good at not getting shot. Well...usually." Doug answered as he undid the lock. "And perfect, we're in!" he pulled the rusty chain off.

The two ran down the stairs and was soon under the highway, they could still hear the gunshots and yelling above them. Bits of concrete rained down on them as they ran down the rusty walkway. The two started to look over the structure and find where the Gunner camp was.

"Did we by any chance get an estimate of where the Gunners were?" Victoria suddenly asked him about the fort's location.

Doug looked up to the ceiling for a moment. "Shit...I forgot about that..." he chuckled nervously at his mistake.

The two suddenly heard the dull thud of an explosion that rumbled the structure. "Holy shit! Are they shooting explosives at them?!" Victoria shouted in surprise.

()()()

"Holy shit! They're shooting explosives at us!" Louis shouted as bits of concrete rained on him at their hiding place.

"I should have gone with Doug and Victoria!" Joe groaned.

()()()

"They're not going to last much longer. We gotta hurry!" Doug was about to walk ahead as he suddenly spotted four Gunners ahead. "Dammit! Get down!" he grabbed Victoria's arm as the two crouched behind cover.

"Fuck! We have to watch the bottom while everyone else gets to shoot those people!" one of them moaned.

Another Gunner was twirling a knife. "I heard one of them was a fine ass redhead! I've always wanted to fuck the shit out of a redhead!"

"And one if them has a Pip-Boy! I heard those are worth a lot of caps to the right person." the next Gunner snickered.

"I just want to kill them and hang their bodies up!" the last Gunner laughed. "We can use them as target pra-"

Victoria's arrow went right through the side of his neck before his body fell off the side of the rails to the ground below. The other three Gunners turned to their attackers as another received an arrow in the stomach. Doug leaped in with his 9mm and fired several rounds, talking out another Gunner by hitting him in his vulnerable areas. The last Gunner was about to fire as Victoria emptied all five rounds from her .223 in him, most of the bullets hit the Gunner in the chest.

"I really hope they didn't hear all that..." Doug said while passing the fallen Gunners.

"I doubt it, I can still hear the gunfire from above." Victoria pulled her arrow out from the Gunner's stomach, he wheezed in pain before she stabbed him through the throat with the tip.

"But if there's guards here, then that means we're near the underside of the fort." Doug said as they looked up to see various cables and metal struts holding up the support. "Jackpot! Let's get to work!"

The two started taking out the grenades and looked for the best spots to place the timed grenades. "I think we should put these at the edges of the road. That will cause the weight from up above to bring it down." Doug said as he turned the knob on the bottom.

Doug and Victoria started placing the armed grenades near the struts and crevices of the supports, they needed to move quickly, the timers were ticking as both of them placed the last of the dozen or so grenades in the right spots before running as fast as they could to where the service entrance was.

()()()()

Louis and Joe were pinned down behind a truck, they had ran out of cover. Just about every form of vehicle in the area was covered in bullet holes. The Gunner leader looked through the scope of his rifle, he finally had the two right were he wanted them and took aim. But he suddenly lowered his scope and realized something. "Hold the fuck on! Where's the redhead bitch and zombie?!" he started looking around the area.

An explosion rang out from underneath, the Gunners stopped firing as they heard another and another, all within a few seconds of each other. The highway below the fortress began to crack, the sound of metal twisting and concrete crumbling only got louder as some of the fortress structure started to fall. Louis and Joe looked up from their hiding spot, the Gunners started to panic as more of the fortress spilled over the side, taking several of them with it. An explosion was seen at the right side, most likely from some form of generator. The Gunner leader yelled with rage and started climbing down the structure to the ground floor to retrieve his special weapon.

Doug and Victoria spotted the two behind the car. "Oh good! They're alive!" Doug said as he turned to Victoria. "Looks like I owe you twenty caps..."

Louis happily stood up. "I take it that all was your awesome work, right guys?"

"No, that was the other guys. They beat us to the punch." Doug answered sarcastically.

The metal sheet doors of the makeshift fortress collapsed, giving them the opening they needed. "The doors are opened! Literally! Let's get the fuck out of here!" Joe shouted and fired another shot that hit a Gunner in the head.

The four made a beeline for the opening and ran inside the collapsing fortress. The cracks on the road were only becoming bigger as more pieces of metal and junk fell. They passed a few Gunners that were fleeing for their lives, and even one that was on fire and screaming in pain.

Louis fired his Desert Eagle and hit a Gunner in the chest. "Seriously, how many of these guys have been squatting here?!"

"Too many! I thought these assholes were for hire!" Doug raised his shotgun and fired a shell.

"Look, the other end is over there!" Joe pointed ahead of them.

Victoria heard metal clanking and stopped, the other three noticed as they saw something coming. "No, they have one of those damn things too?!"

A robot came out from the corner, it was an Assaultron class. Its dark green body had the Gunner's mark painted on its chest. Its head turned to them and locked on, the red lense lighting up as its three prong claws clanked together and started running for the four. Most people knew just how dangerous an Assaultron could be, it had various models and a knowledge of many weapons and even a laser cannon in its head. The four began to split up, the Assaultron couldn't attack all of them at once. Doug fired two shells from his shotgun as Victoria took out her 10mm SMG and fired away. Joe whipped out his revolver and loaded stronger caliber bullets before firing, Louis steadied his Desert Eagle and aimed for the head.

The Assaultron swiped its clawed clamps at Louis, barely missing him as Doug came in with his fire axe and drove the blade into its back. The military robot surged with electricity as it turned and grabbed him by the throat and lifted him off the ground. Joe fired two rounds from his revolver and managed to hit the Assaultron in the exposed area under the arm, causing it to drop the Wastelander. Victoria emptied her clip and loaded a new one as the Assaultron charged for her, it was about to grab her as Louis fired a few rounds into its back with his Desert Eagle. It turned to him and reached out, managing to grab him by the throat and lift him off the ground as its head laser cannon started to charge up. It was aimed directly for him.

"Not good! Not good!" Louis strained to say as its laser was about to fire.

"Hey, metal head!" Victoria called out.

The Assaultron turned to her just as she let loose an arrow. It struck into the lense and caused a short-circuit, the military robot dropped Louis as it started to stagger around. Doug came in and pulled out his fire axe, Joe gave it a few more shots from his combat shotgun. The area started to give way, more chunks of the road started to fall as the spot the Assaultron stood collapsed. It fell but quickly grabbed on to a piece of rebar that was sticking out, its processor started to recalibrate as Louis walked over to it with a smile. He raised his boot and stomped on its clawed hand and broke it, the Assaultron's grip gave way and it fell to the ground below.

"That...was too close." Louis panted while watching the Assaultron hit the ground below.

"How's your neck?" Doug asked him.

"A little sore, nothing rum can't fix..." Louis answered while rubbing it. "Now let's get the fuck out of here."

"The only way you people are leaving here is in pieces!" the four turned to see the Gunner leader step out with heavy thuds. He wore a Power Armor suit, the model was unrecognizable. It was heavily modified with spikes and the Gunner's symbol plastered on the chest and helmet. In his hands was a new LMG meant to be mounted on a military vehicle. "It took us five years to gather the parts and build this fort! And you cocksuckers ruin it in less than an hour! I'm gonna stomp you into paste under my Power Armor feet!"

"This place is going to collapse any minute! Get out before it's too late!" Joe aimed his rifle at him, despite knowing it might not do much good. "Before we put you down for good."

"No! Either you all die, or we die together!" the Gunner leader aimed at them. "I can't go back to the faction I used to be with! So I'm a dead man anyway!"

"Not unless we kill you first!" Louis opened fire with his assault rifle, but the bullets bounced off the armor as everyone spread out.

The Gunner leader opened fire with his LMG, his aim was wild and filled with rage. The whole area was pelted with bullet holes as the group took cover. They had several close calls as they tried to attack, Victoria fired two arrows at once and they only bounced off the suit. Louis empted his assault rifle as Doug fired both shots from his sawed-off, he used the incendiary shells and set the Power Armor on fire. But the fire died out quickly as the Gunner leader laughed, he turned and smacked Doug with his weapon and sent him to the ground. Joe fired a few rounds from his hunting rifle and managed to hit one of the weaker sections of the body. Doug rolled over with his shotgun loaded with two new shells and fired at the back of the knee, the Gunner leader buckled from the shot as his ammo started to run out. Victoria shot another arrow and managed to get a hit under the shoulder plating and caused the Gunner leader to have a hard time moving it.

"Is this the best you can do?!" the Gunner leader shouted as his ammo ran out and started to reload it. "I'm gonna kill you all here and now!"

Louis came in and grabbed on to his back. "Guess who?!" he asked as if he was playing.

"What the fuck do you think you're doing?! This isn't a game, you shithead!" the Gunner leader shouted as he managed to shake Louis off and turned to grab him by the collar of his Vault suit and tossed him to the pavement.

The Vault dweller slammed into a nearby wall, the wind knocked hard out of him as he hit the ground. He knew a few of his ribs were cracked from the blow and struggled to roll over.

The Gunner leader finally loaded a new ammo case and aimed it right at him. "I'm gonna enjoy filling your ass with lead! And then I'm gonna take that Pip-Boy as a trophy!"

Louis looked up to him and began to chuckle. "That armor...it's very impressive. It's thanks to Power Armor this country won against the Chinese invasion in Anchorage that ended in January of 2076."

"And your point?..." the Gunner leader was about to fire as an alert went off in his helmet.

"My point is..." Louis held up the fusion core. "Those suits are only useful when they got power. Without this...it's just a giant hunk of metal. A useless suit..."

The Gunner leader's Power Armor went dead, and Louis managed to stick a piece of metal into the wheel ring around where the core would go to jam it from opening up. The suit went limp and slumped forward, the Gunner leader screamed and thrashed about inside. Victoria and Doug went over to help Louis up as Joe lit a cigarette and puffed smoke in the Gunner leader's armored face.

The Vault dweller was lifted to his feet as Doug and Victoria slung his arms over their shoulders. "That was so fucking stupid, Louis! You don't need to get yourself hurt like that, especially against someone in Power Armor!" Doug said to him.

"Nothing's broken, Doug. I'll just be a little sore, so relax." Louis half smiled, shrugging off the pain.

"I think he hit his head a little too hard..." Victoria stated.

The area started to rumble again, the supports for the area were starting to crumble in their area as well. "Time to go!" Joe called to them and ran.

More of the structure started to fall all around them, the Gunner fortress had almost completely collapsed. The four left the Gunner leader where he stood as the area around him gave out, they could hear his faint scream from within the Power Armor as it fell. The four passed through the exit of the fort as they shot down any remaining Gunners that tried to stop them.

The group ran down the highway as the last of the fort fell. Nothing remained except for various sections of the highway and scrap parts and dead Gunners. They didn't stop running until they reached the bottom of the highway and back on to solid ground. The four then looked back to the fort, smoke filled the sky above it with the sound of creaking metal and rubble falling to the ground.

The Gunner fort was no more, the small group sat down on a large rock to catch their breaths and look over their remaining ammo and gear. Louis used a stimpak to heal his cracked ribs since he started having a hard time breathing. "So...that was fun..." he said to them.

"We're alive. That's what matters." Victoria sighed in relief.

"Too bad we can't loot the place. If that highway was unstable before, it won't stand much longer..." Joe sighed over the lost loot and finished his cigarette.

"At least those bastards won't have anymore victims to attack. I'll drink to that..." Doug crossed his arms in victory.

Louis stood back up and stretched to see if his ribs have fully healed. "Much better. Now that we have passed through this horrible highway, we can finally get into the next state."

"As long as no one shoots at us..." Doug slung his Winchester over his shoulder.

The group continued on for another hour until they came up to what they wanted to see. A large and faded sign that said, 'WELCOME TO MASSACHUSETTS'.

It was a state with a long and interesting history, the capital of Massachusetts was the stage to an event between four powerful factions that changed the very foundation of the land several years ago. All thanks to a Vault dweller. But despite the peace, tensions were still high in some places. The people that lived in the state have heard a lot about what has happened between the Institute, the Brotherhood of Steel, the Minutemen, and the Railroad, and people still had mixed feeling about each faction's roll in making the state a better place, along with the very things they believed in.

"Here we are! Massachusetts!" Louis said to the group with his arms outstretched to the sign.

"Do we really have to go through here? I've heard things. Disturbing things." Doug asked with worry, he had heard of the Synths roaming the state.

"This is the best route we can take, Doug. We're in Warwick, not Boston." Louis looked to him. "And besides, I've heard there's peace between all those factions. Despite how impossible that seems."

"I doubt we got anything to worry about. Or at least I don't..." Joe smiled.

"Why's that?" Victoria asked him.

"I've never heard of Ghouls being replaced, if you know what I mean..." Joe chuckled deeply.

"Actually, I don't..." Victoria looked confused.

Louis clapped his hands together. "Come on, guys. Let's keep moving. The signal is still ahead..."

"But first, let's hit up a nearby town. And hit up a bar with whatever passes as a beer around these parts." Doug said as they crossed into the state. "And don't call us a gang."

The four had their first real battle as a team, but many fights were still around the next corner. And a lot of it far worse than Gunners and Raiders. But for now, they needed to pass through the state that became one of many places that made groundbreaking history in the country since the bombs dropped.


	6. THE ARTIFICIAL ARMY

**CHAPTER 6: THE ARTIFICIAL ARMY.**

" _There is no greater danger than underestimating your opponent." -Lao Tzu._

March 3/2296

Around a week had passed since the four entered the Massachusetts border. Their next destination was to go through upstate New York and stay away from the city entirely. They didn't have much supplies left and they were starting to get low.

"Journal entry number 14, our journey across the country continues. It's been around two months or so since me and Doug started, and as I said in my last few entries, we have come across new companions. Joe, a Ghoul that has lived since the Great War. And Victoria, a young woman that has escaped from slavery. Right now our supplies are a little low and we are now in Charlemont, Massachusetts and heading to upstate New York. It has been a tad difficult because every road we've tried to take has either been blocked off by rubble or ruined beyond travel. We'll try to hit up some supplies and maybe some work to get caps in the next town we come across. So until then, this is Louis, signing off."

"The first thing I'm gonna do in the next town is get a drink..." Doug sighed from thirst.

"I hear you on that..." Joe surprisingly agreed.

"Maybe if you guys weren't concern about your next drink, we could get to where the signal is faster..." Victoria spoke up.

"I just want to get the hell out of this state. I can barely sleep at night as it is..." Doug looked around the area once more.

Louis sighed in annoyance. "Doug, I told you, the factions in Boston are at peace. We're nowhere near the coast, and nobody is going to get replaced by a Synth..."

"How do you even know so much about this anyway?" Doug turn to him. "Wait, never mind. The probes."

"It's kinda funny how we've never seen much of the people everyone talks about over there. The ones that saved Boston." Louis pondered to himself. "We just know that everyone is at peace and uniting the city of Boston."

"It's only one city. Are those people gonna make the rest of this country better?" Joe asked sarcastically while smoking.

"You said you're cutting back..." Victoria reminded him while waving the smoke away.

"I haven't smoked since we entered Massachusetts..." Joe tossed the butt away.

Louis raised his Pip-Boy and noticed something on it. "Hey, we're about to come up to a settlement ahead!" he alerted them.

"Yeah, we can see it..." Doug pointed ahead. They could see the settlement coming into view.

"You're a spoilsport sometimes..." Louis sighed as they continued.

()()()()()()()()()()()()

In a rundown bar of a town called Safe Trail, a number of mercenaries were hanging out in it. They were drinking wildly and starting to mess around, breaking glasses and tearing up furniture.

At the far corner of the bar sat a young woman. She had raven black hair that reached her shoulders with a dark green headband, and emerald green eyes. Her skin a very light tan and a sturdy build to her body. She wore heavy modified combat armor that covered her entire torso, lower legs and forearms. And the upper arms were sleeveless with dark green pants and a large belt with pouches and dark green gloves with no fingers.

She downed her drink and ordered another as the mercenaries were getting louder and starting to mess with the staff working there. Some were screwing with the jukebox as others were getting rough with the pool table. One mercenary even forced a waitress to sit in his lap.

"When's the boss getting back?! This place sucks!" one of them shouted before tossing his glass.

"Just fucking wait. Those robots aren't going anywhere!" another laughed as he tossed the white pool ball.

"They're called Synths! A bunch of damn bots pretending to be people!" the one by the jukebox punched it to play a new song.

"We're not allowed to attack any Synths protected by those bleeding heart Railroad people, but we can fuck up any of those malfunctioning plastic faces!" the one messing with the waitress laughed.

"I miss the old days! We tore those abominations to pieces! See what's really inside!" another said as he noticed the woman at the end of the bar and went over. He sat down next to her, she glanced over and scoff. "Hey there. I might be a tad too drunk, but I don't think I've ever seen you in our group..."

The woman finished her drink. "That's because I don't travel with any other mercs. I'm independent..."

"I like independent women. But traveling with a group brings more caps. Maybe I can...put in a good word for you..." he snickered and placed a hand on her arm.

The woman grabbed his hand and threw it off. "Don't touch me..." her face gave a dark frown.

"Whoa! Come on! Don't be like that. We wouldn't mind having a lady in the group." he laughed with his hands up.

"So you all can gang up on me after weeks of failed missions and your frustrations gets to a boiling point and you all take it out on me with your little dicks?" she glared at him. "Not a chance in hell. I've learned to never trust a bunch of no name mercenaries that are just a level above common thugs."

The merc growled in rage and lifted his fist. "You bitch! I'll show you who's a low level thug!"

He threw his fist, but she caught it and slammed it on the bar top. "Poor choice of words..." she said and elbowed him in the face.

The merc fell to the floor with a loud thud. The others caught on and stood up, the young mercenary got off her barstool and gestured for them to come after her. One started coming after and threw a punch as she countered and elbowed him in the jaw, he fell and hit the ground hard. Another pulled out a combat knife and went after her, but she grabbed his wrist and twisted it and drove the blade into his upper leg.

He screamed in pain as she threw him over her shoulder to the ground, two mercs snuck up from behind and hit her with pool cues. The wooden poles snapped in half, but she didn't even seem phased by it and turned to them, cracking her neck bones. She lunged in and took the two down with several quick strikes and sent them slamming to the floor. Another grabbed her from behind and held tight, but she forced him back and slammed into the jukebox, breaking the glass as she grabbed his arm and threw him over.

Another came after her as she kicked him in the gut before finishing him with a kick to the head. Three more came in at her on all sides, but she was much quicker and finished them all at once with a few punches and kicks.

"You have no idea who you're messing with, bitch!" the leader of the group put on a simple pair of brass knuckles. "We're the toughest mercenaries in the region! And you are just some solo, wannabe, mercenary bitch!" he charged in and started swinging.

She backed away from each swing, but the mercenary was trying to back her against the wall. She quickly caught on and went on the attack, but his arms were very large and fast, so she was forced to end the fight quickly. The young mercenary quickly dodged his left swing as he threw his brass knuckled fist for her face, but she did something very unexpected. She threw her head forward and made contact with his fist, the knuckles and wrist broke with ease against her skull. The mercenary threw back his hand and screamed in pain. The other mercenaries got up from the floor and started limping out of the place, two went over to their leader and helped him leave the building.

"That bitch! She shattered my goddamn hand! It's like I punched fucking wall!" he wailed in agony.

The young mercenary woman watched the mercs leave, she touched her forehead and felt a very small cut that was lightly bleeding. She turned back to the bar and sat down to finish her drink and wipe the blood from her cut with a napkin. The rest of the bar patrons were stunned speechless over one mercenary woman beating up a number of mercenaries by herself.

"How...how did you break that man's fist with just your skull?..." the bartender stuttered.

She ordered him to pour another drink. "I...have a plate in my head. He was just unlucky." she bluntly answered and downed her drink. "I'm leaving, so I'll be taking my weapons back at the door."

The mercenary woman went to the door where the checkout was and gathered her things. She was given her modified plasma rifle with scope and flamethrower attachment, it had long range and rapid firing capabilities. Her plasma pistol with a second slot for an extra energy cell, giving it double the amount of ammo. Her collapsible shock baton and combat knife was given to her, along with an odd laser rifle that was rectangle in shape. The last thing given back was her combat helmet with flip down, night vison goggles along with all her ammo.

The woman exited the bar and walked down the dusty road of the settlement and heading off to her mission.

()()()()()()()()()()()()()()

The four wanderers made it to Safe Trail and began looking around, they were a tad low on caps and needed to think of what they needed the most.

"We're shit out of luck. We can either buy food or ammo. Not both." Joe sighed in annoyance.

"Maybe go half and half on the ammo and food?..." Louis suggested.

"That means half of us get food and half of us get ammo. Not liking that at all." Doug said to him.

"Let's look for work first before we make any decisions on what to buy." Victoria spoke up.

As if luck was on their side, a man wearing an old suit approached him. "Excuse me, armed travelers, are you here for the job as well?" he asked them.

The four turned to him. "Job? What job?" Louis frowned in confusion.

"Oh, I'm sorry, I thought you were another group of mercenaries." the man in the suit stepped forward. "My name is Keith, I'm the leader of this town. Over the last few years, the factions of Boston have put together several laws on how they keep the peace and continue their goals. The Brotherhood get more access to Institute technology as long as they put their research into developing better solutions of helping peoples lives across the Wasteland with the Brotherhood's protection and distribution. And the Minutemen get better weapons and resources to protect the Boston border and beyond while the Railroad are free to help place all Generation 3 Synths in better locations for them to live. Have any of you heard about these things?"

"More or less. But what does any of that have to do with a job?" Louis asked him.

"I told you about the Gen 3 Synths being relocated to safer places, but there's a lot of Generation 1and 2 Synths out there. More then people realize. For every Generation 3s, there's five times as many Generation 1 and 2s. And the Minutemen and

Brotherhood are stretched too thin to hunt them all down, so they have made contracts to anyone that wants to hunt down the Gen 1 and 2s. The Institute has lost control of them, and to relieve the tension people already feel towards them, they have helped finance most of the caps for these operations." Keith gave them a handbill with pictures of a Gen 1 and 2 Synths. "They pay people to take care of those old models to get their minds off the Gen 3s."

"You're giving fifty caps per Synth?! That's awesome! Sign our asses up!" Doug looked over the flyer excitingly from the idea of a big payday.

"We can stock the hell up on ammo and food with that kind of caps!" Joe grinned widely.

Louis looked at the picture of the Synths. "So we just search around aimlessly for old model Synths?..."

Keith pointed north. "About a few mile that way, there's an old town in Heath. Reports say it's filled with old Synths, and they need to be cleared out. That many Synths in one location has everyone living here on edge. That's why we've been financed to hire mercenaries to deal with them."

Victoria looked around and saw a number of armed people walking around. "Don't you guys think you might have a tad too many mercs?"

"We need them, reports say there's more than a hundred Synths. So we need a small army of mercs. I just wish they weren't so rowdy!" Keith frowned at a group.

"If you're shilling out the caps, we be happy to offer our assistance." Joe folded the flyer.

"The mercenaries are about to head out. And just so you know, we only accept full bodies or a head. We won't count arms and legs, but a torso is fine." Keith instructed them. "I wish you all the best of luck, we cannot be held responsible for loss of limb or lives."

"Not a problem! We'll use the mercs as shields." Doug said as he headed for the weapons store.

"He's kidding!" Louis chuckled nervously. "Mostly..."

The four quickly stocked up on ammo with most of their caps before heading outside where there was sixty mercenaries standing around. Most of them looked like they came from the same group, but there was several smaller groups and one woman with plasma weapons standing alone.

Keith stepped up to a higher elevation platform to get the merc's attention. "Alright, you people have been briefed on the mission at hand. The prewar town of Heath is filled with old generation Synths, and they need to be wiped out! The bounty is fifty caps per Synth, all I ask is that you people work together to get rid of those machines!"

"No problem! But if we see any Generation 3 Synths working with those plastic faces, we're gonna shoot them down too!" one of them said, making most of the groups laugh.

"There's no Gen 3s with them! You all heard they have been relocated and are safe from harm! They are completely different to those machines! And I expect you all to honor the contract!" Keith frowned at the mercs. "Now hurry, everyone here won't feel safe until the robotic Synths are wiped out.

"Sorry, but we can't be held responsible for what happens to any type of Synth!" another merc shouted mockingly. Almost everyone started laughing again.

"What a bunch of assholes..." Louis grumbled in disgust.

"Next they'll want to wipe out us Ghouls. Wouldn't be the first time." Joe considered lighting a cigarette.

"Let's just hunt down those old model Synths, collect our bounties and get out of here..." Doug frowned at the mercenaries.

"How are we gonna keep track of our bounties anyway?" Victoria asked them.

A man with a couple of leather sacks approached them. "Excuse me, how many sacks do you guys think you'll need? These are for the Synth heads. I doubt you would want drag the bodies back..."

"Oh, thanks! We were just talking about that. We'll take...twenty sacks." Louis held his hand out.

"Damn, Louis. Reaching for the stars on that one." Doug laughed as he took some.

"Do you want to eat and drink, or do you want to stand around scratching your ass?" Louis retorted while inspecting his bags.

The large group of mercenaries started marching to the old town into one massive group of almost two hundred. They traveled by the dusty road that would lead them straight to the prewar town as some groups spread out to keep guard for trouble. The four wanderers stayed at the back, they didn't want to associate with mercenaries of shady reputation. The mercs were laughing and messing around, some checked their weapons and ammo while others talked about what they were gonna do with their caps.

"So are we gonna break off from these people when we arrive?" Joe asked the group.

"I think that's for the best. I don't trust a single one of these people." Victoria glanced over and noticed a raven black hair woman walking alone. "Strange, she seems to be on her own..."

"A solo mercenary? I never thought someone like that would take on a dangerous mission like this." Doug eyed her.

The woman noticed she was being looked at and turned her head to them. "Is there something I can do for you guys?..." she frowned a little.

Doug raised his hand. "Sorry, I didn't mean to stare. We were just surprised you're alone."

"I don't get along with others very well." she answered him and looked back to the road.

Louis went over and pat Doug on the back. "That's okay. Doug here wasn't very social until we started traveling together!"

The woman looked at him again. "You're a Vault dweller. What's someone like you doing out here in the Wasteland?"

"It's a long and crazy story, I wouldn't want to bore you..." Louis rubbed the back of his head.

"We got nothing to do until we arrive at the town. Besides, it's not everyday I meet a Vault dweller. There must be a reason you left the safety of your home." the woman looked to him. "My name is Chloe Barlow."

"If you insist, Chloe..." Louis smiled to her.

The Vault dweller gave her the rundown of why he left his Vault on a mission to find the signal, along with why Doug joined him while keeping most of the personal details to himself. He then explained how Joe and Victoria joined them, all the way up to their situation now with earning caps by destroying all the old model Synths.

"I must say, that's quite a story." Chloe slightly smirked at their reason for traveling. "You're practically running around without a clue on where to go, facing all kinds of danger and trouble, and you don't even know what it is you're looking for..."

Louis gave a nervous chuckle. "Yeah...we get that a lot. But there's nothing much we can do about it until we get there..."

"Unless we run out of caps first." Doug sighed and looked to her weapons. "By the way, nice plasma rifle."

Chloe glanced at his weapons. "Thanks. Nice Winchester rifle. You don't see many of those around these days..."

The large group of mercenaries suddenly slowed down before stopping, they all had arrived at their destination. Quietness fell onto the mercenaries, now it was mission time to them. Everyone readied their weapons, the sound of guns loading and lasers charging echoed across the area. A few of the mercs started scouting ahead to get a lay of the land.

Louis checked his Pip-Boy to look at the map of the area before looking around. "Man, this town is big from what I'm seeing. A lot of the residential homes are pretty intact, along with the business buildings and industrial areas. Plenty of locations to hide..."

"Just keep your weapons ready. They could be anywhere." Doug raised his Winchester rifle and looked down the sights.

"This is the calm before the storm. I can feel it. My damn hair is standing on end..." Joe armed his combat shotgun.

Victoria clutched her 12.7mm SMG. "This is even more intense than those Gunners we faced a week and a half ago."

Louis' Pip-Boy suddenly alerted him of movement. He raised it and saw a blip on the compass. "We got company."

The mercenaries suddenly heard movement ahead and looked to see a single Gen 1 Synth. Its frame was a tad rusted and missing its lower jaw and right eye. Some of its robotic 'organs' were also gone, and it held a shock baton in its right hand. The Synth spotted the mercenaries and started slowly making its way towards them with its baton raised.

The mercs laughed at the lone Synth as the leader of the ones in black combat armor stepped forward. "This is disappointing! This thing must be malfunctioning!" he drew his assault rifle and aimed. "Stay back, boys! I'll handle it!"

The leader of the group fired his rifle, the bullets tore into its chest and it collapsed to the ground with electricity surging across the body.

"This is too easy! We'll clear these things out in no time!" one of them shouted.

As the mercenaries cheered, the four wanderers at the back stayed on edge. "These idiots are getting ahead of themselves! It's just one old Synth." Chloe frowned at them. "This is why I prefer to be solo."

The Pip-Boy went off again. More blips were shown on it, almost completely around them as they heard footsteps marching towards the mercenaries. They saw many Synths, Gen 1 and 2s, all of them had various pieces and parts missing, they also had Institute rifles and pistols and shock batons and other weapons in hand. The mercenaries quickly raised their weapons and started firing at the Synths.

Bits and pieces of plastic flesh and parts fell off the Synths as they returned fire with their Institute rifles. One mercenary was shot straight through the chest as another was hit in the head. One of the Synths threw a grenade at a few and exploded at their feet, killing them instantly. Some panicked and started running before being gunned down by blue lasers.

Louis fired his assault rifle in big sweeps as Doug went all out with his Winchester. Joe shot down three Synths in the chest with his hunting rifle as Victoria unloaded with her 10mm SMG.

Chloe was doing fine on her own, her plasma rifle melted through the Synths chests and shorted them out. Several more surrounded her as she switched her rifle to flamethrower mode and fired a stream of flames. The Synths staggered around on fire as she switched to her plasma pistol to finish them off.

The rest of the mercenaries broke off into their groups and either ran for safety or push through. More Synths seemed to be coming out of nowhere, and the second Gens were wearing various levels of Synth armor and stronger firearms salvaged from their victims. The wanderers retreated into the town while shooting any Synths in their way. Louis shot them in the chests with his Desert Eagle at the 'heart' areas, which seemed to be where the power source for the first Gen ones. Joe's combat shotgun tore through the Synths with ease at point blank range, along with Doug's sawed-off. Victoria took out her .223 and put a few rounds into the chest of one coming after him, sparks shot out from the openings before they collapsed to the ground.

Chloe started to run for safety, but she was cut off by a few Synths and turned around, only to be cut off again. She quickly realized she couldn't get through without getting killed, but then looked over and saw the four running with an opening to catch up with them. She sighed in annoyance, there was no choice but to follow them to safety. "Hey! Mind if I tag along for a minute?!" she asked.

"Sure! Just hurry before they get us!" Louis waved for her to follow as he shot another.

"Try to keep up!" Doug said and unload two shells into the chest of another.

"You first!" Chloe chuckled as her plasma rifle melted another Synth's chest.

The four wanderers and Chloe ran into the ruined town. Synths were pouring out all over the place, marching around in groups and patrols. Searching and scanning for new victims to hunt down in the vast town. The group avoided a small patrol of Synths and came across an old collapsing store and went in to hide for a few minutes.

"So...this whole thing went tits up to hell..." Joe sighed and rested against the shelves.

"I say we cut our losses and get the hell out of here." Victoria suggested to them.

"I hate to miss out on a good payday, but I'm with her. I'd rather be alive and broke then dead." Chloe agreed.

Doug looked out the dusty window and spotted some Synths in the distance. "We're surrounded, the Synths are crawling all over the fucking place!"

Louis reloaded his assault rifle. "So we run, then what? The Synths could march to that settlement at any moment. Those mercenaries could foolishly lead them right to it as they're retreating." he slung the rifle over his shoulder. "Like it or not, we have to stop those Synths..."

"Louis..." Doug frowned at him. "I know you're a bit headstrong and sometimes think your balls are too big, but we're outnumbered by hundreds, if not thousands! We can't take them on! Not unless you can call a nuclear strike with that Pip-Boy of yours!"

"I'm not saying we have to take them all on ourselves!" Louis went to the window and looked out. "Something about this isn't right. All these Synths working together so well in one place? It doesn't make any sense to me. Something else is going on here in this old town."

Doug grumbled in defeat. There was simply no point in arguing with him when he made up his mind. "Okay, say I agree with you on finding the source, where do we even begin with the small army of Synths out there?"

"We'll come up with a plan as we go. And if we can get the mercs on our side, the whole operation will go much smoother." Louis turned back to them. "Either we fight our way out or end it all here. But these Synths need to be stopped."

Doug groaned and threw his head back. "Ugh, jeez, fine! Let's scout it out and see what we can do! I just don't want to leave empty-handed after all the shit we've been through today."

"In that case, consider me on your side for now. I have a reputation to keep up." Chloe armed her plasma rifle with a new cell.

Victoria took out her bow. "They won't know what hit them until it's too late."

"Screw it, I've lived for over two hundred years." Joe pulled out a cigarette and lit it. "Might as well go out with a bang."

The four wanderers and mercenary went to the door of the store. "Alright, time to do this..." Louis boasted and shoved the door open.

It landed on the ground with a thud and kicked up dust. Everyone stepped out with their weapons raised in defense, even in the distance they could hear the metallic stomping of the Synths searching for mercenaries to systematically kill. Soon to face what is really pulling the strings behind the attack and large amount of Synths gathered in one place.


	7. THE SYNTH PUPPETEER

**CHAPTER 7: THE SYNTH PUPPETEER.**

" _Know your enemy and know yourself and you can fight a hundred battles without disaster." -Sun Tzu._

The prewar town in Heath was crawling with Synths, the artificial robots moved in groups across the crumbled roads and streets. Gunfire could be heard in the distance, signaling that the battle between the mercs and Synths was well underway. But despite that, more of the Synths kept coming from seemingly out of nowhere.

One lone Generation 2 Synth patrolled near an old building before passing the windows. Its sensors went off for a second and turned to the cracked and dusty glass. The Synth approached slowly and peered in before its head was met with the blade of a machete. It sliced through the head between the eyes and came out the back of the head. The Synth twitched and sparks popped from it body before going limp as the blade was pulled out.

The four wanderers and mercenary came out from the building and looked around to make sure it was clear of any other Synths. "It's gonna take us forever to find anyone at this rate..." Doug frowned and kicked the Synth's limp body.

"At least we haven't dealt with hordes of them yet." Victoria gave a quick sweep before hearing some gunfire from afar. "I'm surprised those mercenaries are even still here."

"Money brings in all kinds of desperate and greedy assholes." Joe looked to where the noise was coming from. "Whether it's actual dollar bills from my time or caps, money is money. As long as they can earn it while doing what they love. Shooting shit up."

"We need those trigger happy mercs to help us get rid of these Synths." Louis sheathed his long machete. "If we continue this way, we'll make it to that gunfire."

"That is without the Synths getting in our way." Doug stated bluntly.

Louis looked at his Pip-Boy again to check the map. But the device suddenly switched to its radio function and showed a strange signal in the form of a coded frequency. "What's this? I'm getting a strange signal that I've never seen before!"

The other four came over to look at the screen and saw the fluctuating signal. "A radio signal out here? Are you sure that thing isn't on the fritz?" Joe asked him and tried to tap the screen.

"No, it's not. There's a clear radio signal coming in. But it seems to be encoded, a message that can only be decrypted by a computer..." Louis paused for a moment before his eyes wandered to the Synth on the ground. "Or a Synth processor! Someone or something is controlling all these Synths in the area!"

"Controlling the Synths?" Doug raised a brow, worried that his imagination was running wild again. "Aren't you jumping the gun on that?"

"It would make a lot of sense. There's so many Synths wandering around in the same area, and they seem to be organized, despite the Institute losing control of them." Chloe agreed with the Vault dweller.

"But who would have that kind of tech to control that many Synths?" Doug looked around for a moment. "Where would the signal even come from?"

"If someone is controlling the Synths, they must be shacked up somewhere that's big enough to hold all that equipment." Louis kept the Pip-Boy on the radio signal. "Let's go, there's something else in the works here."

Louis took the lead and followed the radio signal that was getting stronger with each passing step. Whenever a Synth patrol was coming through, they would take cover and wait for them to leave and hope none of them activated their scanners. The gunfire ahead of them was getting louder before coming up to a lower section and saw a large group of mercenaries shooting down a pack of Synths. The guns for fire mowed down the barely functional Synths that collapsed to the ground, filled with bullets and laser holes. The group watched as the last of the Synths fall, they figured these people were their best option. But no one was too optimistic in them helping.

They ran down the slope and started walking towards the mercs as they finished up. One of the leaders noticed them coming and shouted. "Hey! I don't know who you guys think you are, but this is our kills!"

"We have no intension of taking your kills." Louis held his hands up in defense. "In fact, we're in the middle of tracking down a signal that I'm picking up."

"Why the fuck would you people go around following a signal at a time like this?!" the mercenary leader frowned.

"Because I think the signal is controlling the Synths in this town. There has to be someone or something causing all this." Louis began to explain.

"A signal controlling the Synths?! That's the craziest shit I've heard!" the merc leader scoffed at him. "You damn Vault dwellers coming up here and think you can call the shots! Go back to your castle underground."

"Hey, asshole! We're trying to help you!" Doug snapped at him. "How many of your men have you lost already? We can end this right now if you would work with us!"

"Go piss off, all of you! We're gonna collect as many Synth heads as we can and go back to that settlement." he looked over and saw a Gen 2 Synth crawling across the ground. The leader went over and started stomping on its head. "Die! Die, you piece of shit!" the Synth deactivated after its head was crushed in. "Now that was fun! The only good thing those damn, egghead Institute people ever did was make these abominations for us to kill!"

Chloe clenched her fist in anger, the other four realized they weren't going to get their help. "Fine. We'll leave you guys alone. Happy hunting and all that shit." Louis said as they turned to leave.

The group got several meters away from the mercenaries, Chloe still looked mad as all hell at them. "Damn those people! They can't even tell the difference between the first two generations and the third generations!" she sneered in disgust.

"I hate to pry, but why is it so personal to you?" Doug asked her cautiously.

Chloe sighed deeply to calm down. "I've lived in this state all my life, so I know about the Synths. And I know the Institute has been making them for a long time. And they don't have the right to make living beings like that and treat them as disposable machines. Whether they were born like normal people or made, they are still alive."

"Hmm, never heard of a mercenary being so open minded." Joe said to her. "That's a rare thing to see."

Louis raised his brow in suspicion. "Indeed. I agree that their methods were crossing some lines. Even if they had the best intentions in mind, life on this world has already been screwed over enough by radiation and biological contamination. Making living Synths for their disposal is just as bad."

"If you don't mind me asking, why did you become a mercenary in the first place? You seem way smarter than the average one." Victoria asked next.

Chloe thought it over and figured they were trustworthy enough for a small amount of detail, she did stick out for a merc. "My...father...that's how I always saw him. He took care and raised me, and he was a very enlighten man. He was a scientist too and taught me a lot of things. And was surprisingly good with a gun if you can believe it. I even wanted to follow in his footsteps with his scientific research, but he fell ill and died about seven years ago. So with no way to continue his research, I took up the job as a mercenary and have been that way since."

Louis' suspicion only grew. "What was he researching?"

"It's kinda hard to explain. He dabbled in a lot of things. Even I had a hard time keeping up. But he was very passionate about it, and sometimes I wish I could have continued it, but everything is gone now. And the only thing most people care about out here is caps and their next meal." Chloe finished and looked to the sky for a moment. "He deserved to be appreciated for his work, he only wanted to help people."

After awhile, the group finally found the source of the signal. In front of them stood an old and unidentifiable factory. The signal beeped loudly in confirmation as the Vault dweller turned the beeping down. At the parking lot of the factory, several groups of Synths patrolled the area in various patterns. Making it all the more obvious this place is the main operation.

"There's no doubt about it. Whoever's behind this is shacking up in that factory." Louis said as he looked at the signal on his Pip-Boy. "I'm trying to decrypted it, but the only way we're gonna shut it down is by connecting my Pip-Boy to the terminal that's controlling the Synths."

"Our first task is getting in. And if these guys are connected, won't attacking them alert whoever is in control?" Doug asked, keeping his eyes on the Synths ahead.

"Anyone who's controlling them won't be able to monitor them all." Chloe readied her plasma rifle. "Judging by their movements, I'd say they are on programmed routes and routines. Getting in their proximity would set them off."

"Then we better break off into a few groups and sneak in. We'll be harder to detect if we're not together." Joe spoke up.

"Good plan. Doug, you're with me." Louis pulled out both his handguns. "Victoria, Joe, and Chloe, you guys go together."

"Actually, if you guys don't mind, I'll sneak in on my own." Chloe said to them. "I do my best work when I go at it alone."

"Just be careful..." Louis waved before they broke off on their own paths.

The five snuck through the parking lot, ducking behind the decayed cars and other piles of rubble while avoiding the Synths' scanners. Bit by bit the groups got closer to the factory, the artificial robots were easier to avoid then they thought. The Synths were of older models, their joints rusted from Wasteland with large chunks of plastic flesh missing. Some even twitched while moving, they were on the verge of breaking down from age. It wasn't long before everyone managed to sneak through and find their own entrances into the factory through openings in the walls.

Chloe came around the side of the building and spotted an opening and headed towards it. She almost entered as a Gen 2 Synth stepped out and saw her. She was about her plasma pistol and shoot, but the Synth only seemed to stare at her before she heard a scanning sound.

"Scanning...registering...scan complete. Unknown mod-"

Chloe quickly dashed forward and tackled it to the ground and pulled out her combat knife and drove the blade into its head. "Shut up! Just shut up!" she shouted lowly at it.

She pulled her knife out and quickly ran into the opening before more came. Not long after, the merc found the unusual group after they formed up. There was two Synths on the ground and sparking, one had Doug's axe in its chest as the other had two arrows buried in at the neck. It was then that they noticed the merc had found them.

"Glad to see you made it in. Had any problems?" Doug asked while putting his fire axe away.

"I just put down a Synth. Nothing special." Chloe replied as she joined up with them.

"Strange, I figured there would be some more guards inside..." Louis looked around the place for a moment before raising his Pip-Boy. "But no matter. We're close to the signal. Very close. So time is of the essence. Even those idiot mercenaries don't deserved to be killed like this."

They started by searching the office area of the factory, sweeping each room one at a time before taking the stairs to the upper level. Just about everything that could have been of value had long since been taken, and there was no Synths inside at the moment. The main office was checked next with nothing to show for it, but the signal was only getting stronger, indicating that the source was coming from the factory floor.

They stepped out of the office area and onto the catwalk section above the factory floor. What was made in the factory has been long since forgotten, the place had been ransacked as well from a long time ago. The only source of light coming in was from the busted windows high above, the dust was heavy in the air.

Louis slowly scanned the area with his Pip-Boy raised to check the signal strength. "We should be right on top of it. But I don't see anything anywhere."

"Maybe we're on the wrong level. Let's check out below." Victoria suggested.

Joe looked over the side of the rails and gasped, almost dropping his rifle. "Oh, shit. You guys...might want to look at this..."

The rest quickly came over and looked down with him. Below on the factory floor was a small army worth of a few hundred Synths, various mix and matches of Gen 1 and 2, and all of them stood in perfectly lined rows like an army about to march. They all seemed to be deactivated, slightly hunched forward and unmoving.

"I think...we found where they're coming from." Louis whispered meekly.

"No shit..." Doug scoffed.

"No doubt about it now, this is the place. But what in the hell does anyone need with this many Synths?" Victoria looked down to the machines.

Louis turned his eyes to the floor below the one they stood on and saw something at the far end. It looked like a quickly assembled lab with all kinds of equipment lying around on tables and desks. "Well look what we found. I see a lab up ahead. And something like that doesn't belong in an old factory..." he pointed to it.

"Perfect! We can get in control and shut them down." Chloe said with determination.

They quickly moved down the walkway and then down the stairs to the platform that contained the makeshift laboratory. The Vault dweller started looking over the equipment, most of it was very old terminals and computers that are common to find. But some of them looked new and mostly clean, and didn't match any known models.

"What is this? I've never seen these models before! And they look new as well." Louis said as he typed on the keyboard. "I hope my Pip-Boy is up for it. Hold on a second, what the hell is this?" he looked up and saw something covered in dust on the new terminal and wiped away with his hand and saw a logo. A very well known logo to the people of Boston. "No! That's the Institute symbol! What's a bunch of Institute equipment doing out here?!"

"This is bad, real bad!" Chloe frowned in anger and came over to look at it. "If people find out about this, there's no telling how they're going to react!"

"But we can't just ignore it either! This whole place is full of damn Synths!" Joe pointed to the floor below. "If those mercs spot the ones outside, they'll think there's more in here!"

"That doesn't mean we can't tell someone. The people funding this job will want to know." Victoria said to them.

A gunshot rang out as a bullet punched through the floor near them. "None of you are saying shit!" they spun around to see a middle aged man with short black hair and a light five o'clock shadow on his face. He wore dirty and worn Institute lab clothes. "I don't know how you people got passed my Synth guards, but you won't leave here alive!"

Louis looked directly to him. "So I take it you're in charge of this show!"

The scientist pointed his gun at him. "That I am, asshole! And you goddamn mercs have fucked up my operation!" his arm shook in anger. "I have been putting this together over the last few years, and you trigger happy motherfuckers come storming in here and smash up my Synths!"

The rest pointed their guns at him. "You need to calm down before we fill your ass full of lead!" Doug warned him.

"If you dumbasses shoot me, the Synths below will activate and rip your guts out through your assholes! I can order them to do it!" the scientist shouted.

Everyone groaned in disgust. "Great! There's an image in my mind." Joe grumbled.

"Why are you doing this? What have those people in the settlement ever done to you?!" Victoria demanded, keeping her gun aimed at him.

"I was never gonna attack that settlement! I was going to turn this place into my own settlement!" the scientist shouted again. "My name is professor Alec, and I was one of the Institute's top scientists before that damn Vault dweller took over Boston and made everyone get along and shit!..." he said in a childish tone.

Everyone stood silent for a few moments before Doug spoke. "And that's a bad thing, how?..."

"My research was basically shelved! I was one of the lead researchers on the third Generation Synths' nervous system! Making them far more efficient to command and control!" Alec continued. "But ever since the four factions started working together, I was reduced to basic research on technology from the fucking Wasteland! But I wouldn't have it! I spent years helping perfect the Synths, only to have it shut down. So I stole a command module, took control of a number of old model Synths, had them take as much of the Institute tech they could carry and made our way out into the Wasteland as I took control of as many Synths I could on the outside." he chuckled for a moment. "Man, we really made a lot of them."

"Okay, I can understand why you're mad. I came from a Vault myself, and I did some research with the other scientists. They can be very passionate about their work." Louis stepped a little closer. "But that still doesn't make sense why you would come all the way out here."

"Because I was going to use the Synths to fix this town up. People will flock here to a safe and guarded place to live. No one would have to risk their lives with robots doing all the protecting. And I would have them bring whatever form of technology they could get their hands on. Continuing my own research and making myself independent from those Institute idiots that let themselves become weak!" Alec continued once more as he pointed his gun at Louis' head.

"Louis!" Victoria cried out in worry.

"Don't try anything funny! All of you!" Alec warned them.

"Helping people in the Wasteland isn't weak! Instead of throwing a temper and going all rogue, you should have committed yourself to helping the people of Boston and beyond!" Louis took another step closer.

"We were already helping humanity! Our Synth program was to make better humans so we could never make the same mistakes like before when this world was plunged into nuclear hell!" Alec had the gun only a few inches from his head. "All you idiots thought we were making them to replace humanity! It just goes to show how stupid the people of the Wasteland are!

"You mean making obedient slaves that weren't born like regular people!" Chloe shouted at him. "Nobody would make a big deal about it!"

"What would a mercenary bitch like you care?! You only care about your next paycheck!" Alec snapped at her. "Screw this! Once you and all the mercenaries are dead, your weapons and gear will make great additions to building my settlement. Can't build a town without things to sell!"

Louis was close enough to try his plan. "If you're gonna shoot me, you better turn off the safety."

Alec frowned and looked at his gun, Louis only had a split second and grabbed his wrist and pulled his arm up. Alec shouted and fired three rounds into the air. The Vault dweller slugged him across the face before the two started struggling against each other. He then squeezed his wrist tight to make him let go. Louis pushed the scientist hard into one of the shelves, sending tools falling to the floor.

The others were about to jump in as four Synths jumped out from the shadows above and attacked them. Doug took out his fire axe and drove the blade into the chest of the one coming after him. One tackled Victoria and knocked her to the floor, she slammed hard against the metal as the Synth tried to crawl on top of her. She pointed the 10mm forward and unloaded half the clip into its belly, causing it to short out.

One Synth grabbed Joe's arm and pulled him hard. The Ghoul drew out his revolver and shot it twice in the eye at point blank and another four into its exposed chest. Chloe backed away from the group and used her plasma pistol to gun down the three Synths coming after her. It took a few moments since the plasma globs melted through the plastic bodies and down to the frame and circuits. A Synth came after Chloe from behind and knocked off her combat helmet with its baton and sent it clattering to the floor. But she managed to avoid being hurt and shot it dead in the face.

Alec got back up and aimed his gun at Louis. The Vault dweller froze in place as the former Institute scientist smiled and began to squeeze. Chloe saw Louis in the line of fire and had no choice. She dashed forward and got in front of Louis as Alec fired. The bullet hit her dead center in the forehead, followed by a metal ping that echoed throughout the room. Everyone turned to the sound as the last Synths fell and saw that Chloe was still alive and moaning in pain from the new headache as her blood dripped onto the floor.

"What the fuck is this?! What are you?!" Alec yelled with panic and aimed for her. "Let's see how many you can take!"

"Hey, Dumbass!" Louis stepped over and slugged him right in the face. Alec was knocked out cold and hit the floor. "Look at that, a scientist that can't take a punch. Way to be a stereotype, pal."

Doug went over to help Chloe up, the bullet wound was bleeding, but not badly. "How...how are you still alive? Is there a metal plate in your head?"

Chloe took a few steps back from them, worried about what they might do as she covered her wound with a cloth from her back pocket.

Joe picked up the bloody bullet from the floor with wide eyes. "Damn, the bullet is almost completely flat."

Victoria tried to step closer to her, but she backed away hastily. "Chloe, it's okay. It's just a metal plate. Why would we be upset about that?"

Chloe frowned and looked to the floor. "No! It's not that. It's more than just a metal plate in me."

"You're a Synth, isn't it?" Louis asked calmly. Everyone looked to him in surprise. "I kinda pieced it together. Everything about Synths seemed too personal to you. Even for an average person in the Wasteland. And the way you talked about normal people and Synths seemed a bit off."

Chloe sighed deeply, knowing she had been exposed. "You're right. I am a Synth." she slowly walked to the rails and looked down to the old model Synths below. "But...there's more to it than that. I'm not like the other third Generation Synths." she looked back to them. "I'm...a Generation 4 Synth. A one of a kind..."


	8. THE PERSON UNDERNEATH

**CHAPTER 8: THE PERSON UNDERNEATH.**

" _To be yourself in a world that is constantly trying to make you something else is the greatest accomplishment." -Ralph Waldo Emerson._

"What do you mean...you're a Generation 4 Synth? I thought they only went up to Generation 3." Doug asked her.

Chloe removed the cloth from her head and quickly patched it with a small medical pad and tape from one of her survival pouches before answering them, although she was very hesitant in doing so. "Remember when I said I was raised by a scientist? How he was like a father to me? Well, he kinda was my father. He literally made me from the ground up."

"But I thought the Institute wasn't making anymore Synths. And what makes you different from the others?" Louis asked as he tied Alec's hands to the rails with some rope.

Chloe leaned against the rails. "For starters, I don't have a metal plate in my head. My entire skeleton is made of metal."

"Made of metal? How the hell is that possible?" Joe asked in disbelief.

"My father, Henry Barlow, was an Institute scientist. And a very talent and brilliant one. But the leaders of the Institute felt he was pushing his experiments too far. By the time they perfected Generation 3 Synths, he already had the plans made to start making Generation 4. Which is what I am." Chloe continued.

"I've heard there's been Generation 3 Synths for quite a few decades. There was even some incident in a place called Diamond City in the year 2229. A Gen 3 Synth killed a lot of people, and that caused everyone to fear the Institute." Louis questioned next.

"Those probes from your Vault are real nosy..." Doug commented a little disapprovingly.

"The Institute has greatly improved on their Gen 3s since then. At least that's what my father told me." Chloe began again. "And ever since he was a child, he proved to be quite a prodigy. Nobody in the Institute would ever say it, but he really was a genius, even for them."

"So when do you come into this story?" Joe asked next.

"Around the year 2272, my father knew the Institute was going too far with the Generation 3 Synths. He realized the other scientists would never treat them as equals. That's why he decided to leave them." Chloe started back up. "A Gen 3 Synth is a lot like a normal person, except they don't age, gain or lose weight, and can't conceive or give birth."

"And you said you're a Generation 4 Synth, does that mean..." Victoria began to say.

"Yes. I can age like a normal person, and although I don't gain or lose weight as fast. I'm almost as human as human can be." Chloe placed a hand over her stomach. "I'm the only one of my kind. As normal as they come for the most part."

"But what about your metal skeleton?" Louis asked as he gave Alec a light kick.

"When my father left the Institute, he managed to take a lot of their lab equipment with some old model Synths. Including the plans to make Gen 3s and got several cities away from Boston and continued his research on making Gen 4s for the next few years." Chloe raised her hand and tapped the side of her head. "And as for this, he found a prewar army base that was actually researching ways to put metal skeletons into their soldiers if you can believe it! It was codename Adama-something. I don't remember, a lot of the files were corrupted. The entire project was scrapped because they couldn't figure out how to replace normal bones. But he managed to find a perfectly intact female skeleton."

"There's a difference between men and women skeletons?" Doug asked with a raised brow.

"For starters, I believe it has something to do with the pelvis." Louis informed while pointing at his hips.

"Anyway, he took the skeleton and grew my body around it. I'm still amazed he was able to bond the blood veins, ligaments, and tendons to the skeleton. The process took a few months to put together before fully creating me, he had to use a lot of old equipment. I am now twenty-one years of age, which is when I will start aging naturally. This is pretty much how I looked when I was 'born'." Chloe looked to the old equipment. "A lot of this stuff reminds me of my father and his research. We spent fourteen years together before he died seven years ago. And it still hurts that he was taken from me so soon. He was the only person I knew and cared about, he taught me everything I know and treated me as his own daughter. Not just another lab experiment." tears started to form at her eyes.

"Well, look at that. It actually learned to cry." Alec suddenly spoke and laughed with a wheeze.

Everyone turned their attention to him, he had regained consciousness. "You shut your goddamn mouth!" Doug sternly warned and kicked him in the side of his stomach.

Alec yelled in pain, but he still continued to speak, despite the warning. "I heard just about everything. Including Dr. Barlow! That's right, I knew about him too!" he managed to move himself into a sitting position. "But tell me, did you know this? Did you know part of the reason he left the Institute was because he felt they were responsible for the death of his wife!"

Chloe stomped over to him and grabbed his collar. "What the hell are you talking about?!"

"Oh, it was terrible. There was a leak in one of the containment reactors, and his wife was in charge of that section. But instead of leaving, she stayed behind to stabilize it. Unfortunately, the leak spread faster than anticipated and she died." Alec grinned wide. "And here's the worst part, she was about...three months pregnant if I'm not mistaken. And I heard...it was gonna be a girl. So in short, you're nothing but a imitation of a baby that never got a chance to live!" he started laughing at her.

Chloe yelled and slugged him in the face and let him go. She stood back up and stormed towards the rails and grabbed on. "No! He's lying! That's not true at all! Henry wouldn't do that! He would have never..." she slumped down with tears quietly falling from her eyes.

Victoria went over to comfort and calm her. Louis stormed over to Alec and picked him up from the floor, his hands still tied to the rails. "Alright, ass licker, you better tell me how to shut down the Synths outside before I find a way to have them pull your guts out from your asshole!" he warned menacingly.

"Does that include shutting her down? Gonna be a bit difficult with metal bones!" Alec laughed, which earned him a punch in the stomach.

"I'm not kidding around! Talk before I get rid of you and figure it out myself with that Institute tech!" Louis shook him hard.

"Don't be an idiot! Just because you came from a Vault doesn't mean you can figure out our advanced and sophisticated technology! It's beyond even you!" Alec sneered.

Louis threw him back down to the floor. "We'll see about that. You forget, my Vault was made by Vault-Tec, and their technology was bizarre on a normal day. My Pip-Boy alone is its own unique model! So let's see if I can't figure out your stuff!" he walked over to the main terminal and started typing on the keyboard and pulled the cable out from under his Pip-Boy and plugged it in. Data started flowing across the screen. "See? My Pip-Boy is already getting into your system!"

"I'll keep an eye on him." Joe looked to Alec. "Try anything, and I'll shoot your balls off."

Chloe finally calmed down, Victoria still stood beside her as Doug walked over to her. "You can't let that shithead get to you. He'll say anything to screw with us."

"But what if he's right? What if Henry just made me as a means to replace the family he lost?" Chloe sighed and looked to her hands. "Maybe I am just another Synth meant for the Institute's uses. I mean, I have a fucking metal skeleton! It was meant for warfare anyway!"

"There must be a reason for everything. You told us he took care and raised you, somebody who saw you as an experiment would never put all that time and effort into it." Victoria said to comfort her.

"It still doesn't change that I'm a Synth. Henry always told me he had something special in mind for me, but now that he's gone, and I'll never know what it is..." Chloe reached into her back pouch and pulled something out. "He left me this, it's kinda like his last will or something. I found it under his pillow after he died."

"That's a holotape." Doug looked at it. "You haven't listen to it?"

"I've wanted to, but...well, it's kinda foolish. I was afraid because it's the last time I'll ever hear any form of his voice. Even if it's just a recording." Chloe looked it over once more in her hands.

"Hey, Louis' Pip-Boy could play it. Just ask him and he'll play it." Doug said to her.

"The point is, you need to listen to it. Our you'll regret it for the rest of your life." Victoria placed a hand on her shoulder.

Chloe thought it over for a moment. "I suppose. What else do I got to lose?"

"Your lives, for starters!" Alec shouted to them.

"Hey, mad scientist cliche! Shut your fucking mouth!" Joe kicked him hard in the legs.

"Listen, I'm giving you all one last chance to let me go before I make you all curse the days you all were born!" Alec struggled against his restraints. "Except for her that is. But of course that goes without saying..."

Louis just kept his eyes on the screen. "Will someone please shut him up?"

Doug turned to the scientist and frowned deeply. "There's nothing you can do! So just shut the hell up!"

"Actually, there is..." Alec took in a deep breath and yelled. "Activate! Protocol X-0-E!"

His call echoed throughout the factory floor. The Synths below suddenly activated to the command, their eyes flipped open and started moving their bodies around. They turned their heads up in unison to the shanty lab above and started marching towards the supports.

"Guys...I hate to point out the obvious, but we got trouble!" Doug shouted as the Synths started climbing up.

"I'm almost in! You guys distract the Synths, I can send a signal that will shut them all down!" Louis typed faster on the keyboard.

Victoria grabbed her 12.7mm SMG and loaded it. "Chloe, we need your help! Please!"

The young mercenary's face turned serious and nodded to her before putting the holotape away. Chloe took out her Institute rifle and started shooting over the rails with her. Three Synths were almost over the rail before Doug, Victoria and Chloe put a few shots into them and sent them falling over the rails, bringing a few down with them. Doug then switched to his 9mm and placed several shots into another Synth's chest and kicked it back over. Another climbed over and met the end of Victoria's SMG, bullets filled its body before malfunctioning and collapsed to the floor. A Synth grabbed the rails and started climbing up, but Chloe spotted it and shot its hands with two blasts. The plasma melted the hands to green slag and sent the Synth falling back to the ground.

"It's over! You guys are going to die here! Torn to pieces by my Synths!" Alec mocked before receiving the butt of Joe's hunting rifle upside his head, knocking him out cold.

"Joe!..." Victoria looked to him disapprovingly.

"What?!" Joe shrugged before shooting a Synth that was about to come over the rails. "He was never gonna shut them down anyway."

One Synth came over the side near the terminals where Louis was, his eyes never leaving the screen.

Doug shot a Synth in the face as he saw the Synth coming after the Vault dweller. "Hey, Louis!..." he called to him.

Louis pulled out his Desert Eagle and shot the Synth in the chest at point blank range. "Yes, Doug?..." he asked, still not taking his eyes off the screen.

"Never mind..." Doug rolled his eyes and reloaded.

Victoria loaded a new clip into her 12.7mm and fired down at the Synths again. The bullets helped slow them down as Chloe came to shoot with burning plasma at the shoulders and arms to disable them from climbing and falling back to the ground. Joe flipped his combat shotgun downward, blasting buckshot all over the place to help slow them down too. But more and more Synths were coming in and climbing the supports at a faster pace.

Doug reloaded his sawed-off shotgun as a Synth poked its head up near him. "Hostile detected..." it said before receiving a face full of buckshot and fell.

"You're fucking right I am!" Doug retorted as he fired at another.

The Synths were gaining the edge, they started to spill over and onto the lab floor. Their ammo was running out, the Synths had their arms outstretched, ready to grab them and tear the group to pieces. Louis cracked the code that took control of the satellite on the roof and put in the final commands. The other monitors showed various points of view from the Synths outside, the images kept changing to different views. And on each monitor, it showed that the mercenaries weren't fairing well. They were either dying or being surrounded and pinned down by the Synths.

"Not much time! I just hope this works!" Louis glanced up at the monitors. "Those idiots won't last much longer!"

"We can't hold out much longer either, Louis!" Victoria called as a Synth grabbed her wrist and pulled her towards it.

Doug was tackled harshly to the ground as Joe got grabbed from behind. Chloe's Institute rifle was pulled out of her hands by a few Synths before being restrained.

Several of the Synths made their way towards Louis as he uploaded the final commands. "This is it! Not only will the Synths shut down, I'll see to it that they never activate again!" he hit the enter key as a Synth grabbed him tightly by the neck.

The terminal uploaded the commands, the satellite dish on top of the factory sent the signal. The Synths outside suddenly stopped moving and dropped their weapons. Electricity surged all over their bodies where the power cells were, shorting them out for good before collapsing. The mercenaries all over stood stunned by the Synth's sudden deactivation before cheering and firing their guns in victory. Inside the factory the Synths attacking the group also collapsed to the floor and twitched for a few moments before going limp.

Louis removed the hands from his neck. "We did it! They're down and out for good!" he coughed a little and unplugged the Pip-Boy cable.

Doug roughly pushed the Synth off his body. "I need a drink. Now..."

Joe sat down near Alec and sighed, thinking of having a cigarette. "That sucked. We better collect every damn Synth head there is."

Alec managed to stir awake again and looked around in horror. "What the...my Synths! What have you bastards done?! You'll pay for this, all of you! I'll-"

Joe slugged him in the face again, knocking him out cold once more. "I heard constant unconsciousness can be super bad for you." he chuckled with a grin.

Chloe picked up her Institute rifle and looked at the Synths. "Well, let's get to it. We have some heads to collect."

The five started chopping off the Synth's head and threw them into the bags they carried. They managed to stuff about a hundred heads in all as Joe slung Alec over his shoulders after binding his writs and ankles. The group left the factory and soon spotted the other mercenary groups packing up their gear and gathering heads. Although they had to leave a lot behind to help their wounded get back. They passed the group that they tried to ask for help, the mercenaries suffered heavy loss and the four wanderers just left them behind. The four and Chloe made their way back to Safe Trail as Doug took his turn to carry Alec for a little bit. The sun was starting to set before they finally arrived, along with a number of other mercs that decided to retreat with very few Synth heads in tow.

Keith and several other people, who looked like Minutemen came up to the group. "I heard that the mercenaries sustained heavy casualties! How did you all survive with such a small group? And who's that over your shoulder?" he pointed to the scientist.

Louis slung Alec off and laid him on the ground. "This man is a former Institute scientist. He became very distraught when the factions of Boston made peace and shut down his research. So he stole a bunch of their equipment and took control of any old Synths and made his way out here. He planned on making that old town a new settlement of his own. Personally, I think he went a little nuts being out here alone for a long time with nothing but androids for company."

"This might be a problem. If people hear an Institute scientist was the cause of those Synth attacks, then this could undo the trust the four factions have struggled to build." said the Minutemen leader of the group.

"Maybe you guys can take him back quietly. At least until people know it was the work of one lone scientist." Doug suggested to them.

"He's right. Don't let the unity you guys built be torn apart by one man and his actions." Victoria nodded in agreement.

The Minutemen leader sighed and thought it over. "You all may have a point. This is already tense enough with the Synths. We'll start transporting him back to Boston in the morning. You people have done us a great service, I think you've earned a bonus on your pay." he said as two of his men came to pick Alec up.

"If you people are going to the town, that guy's lab was set up in an old factory. Just look for the one that has a bunch of Synths around it." Joe spoke to them.

Chloe pointed to him. "Yeah, this Vault dweller is the one that shut them down by hacking the terminal."

"The equipment can still be salvaged. All you have to do is go down there and get it." Louis informed them.

"Thank you. Now come on, you guys have earned your pay." Keith waved for them to follow.

With a hundred Synth heads, the group was given five thousand caps and a thousand more for their troubles. The group divided their pay and decided to hit up the nearby bar. The four wanderers and Chloe sat at a table in the corner, eating and drinking and having a good time. The other mercenaries either turned in or left the settlement, their loses and injuries were really high and a bit embarrassing to their reputations.

"All's well that ends well. Right, guys?" Joe asked as he poured another shot of gin.

"I think you've had a little too much to drink, Joe..." Victoria chuckled before downing her drink.

Joe hiccuped. "Are you kidding? I haven't had enough."

Chloe slowly finished her drink and placed the glass back on the table. "So what's next for you all?"

Louis swallowed a big piece of steak before answering. "We're on our way to the state border. From there we will move through upstate New York. We're moving through one state at a time, depending on the direction of the signal."

"Sounds fun." Chloe commented. "I hope you guys find what you're looking for and stop it if it's dangerous."

"What's next for you? Now that the job here is done." Doug asked her.

"What else is there for a mercenary but to look for the next job?" Chloe answered while looking down at her drink. "Besides, what more can I be?"

"Hold on, you still have that holotape. Don't you want to listen to it?" Louis asked her.

"I don't know. It might be best not to hear it after everything I learned." Chloe was about to get up from her seat.

"You'll regret it if you don't hear it. You owe it to Henry to hear his last words." Victoria said to her.

Chloe's face turned to a frown. "You said your Pip-Boy would shutdown if you take it off, and I prefer I hear it in private." she turned to the Vault dweller.

Louis just grinned. "Well...that's not entirely true. I can set it to shut off in certain ways. Like after that holotape is done." he started twisting the knobs on the Pip-Boy before opening the slot for the holotape and taking it off. "As soon as you put the holotape in, it should start playing. It will shut off after it's done." he handed it over to her.

Chloe looked over the Vault device for a moment. "You know, if I was just a run of the mill merc, I could run off with this and sell it for a lot caps. I've even heard some would pay tens of thousands for one of these."

Louis chuckled before taking another drink. "Then I guess it's a good thing you're not that kind of person."

"I'll take this to my hotel room. I'll bring it back as soon as I'm done." Chloe left her pay on the table and walked out the bar.

She entered her room and sat down on the old bed. She looked at the holotape one more time, part of her didn't want to hear what was on it, but yet she wanted to hear her father's voice one more time. So before she decided against it, she put the tape into the slot and closed it. The Pip-Boy started up and played it, a few long seconds passed until a voice started talking from the speaker.

" _My dear Chloe. If you are hearing this, then I have passed. My only regret is that we didn't have more time together. The truth is, there was one part of my life that I didn't tell you. As you know, I came from the Institute, what I didn't tell you is that I was also married and expecting a child. The baby would have been a girl. There was...an accident, and they both died. The pain was...horribly unbearable. And the worst part of it, they expected me to continue my work, despite my loss. I couldn't take it, I decided to leave and continue my work my own way. And as it hurts me to say, a part of me wanted to make you as a way to reclaim what I lost..."_

Chloe gasped at that last part, tears started to form at her eyes as she gripped the Pip-Boy tight.

" _...But you are not a replacement for my lost family. I quickly realized that, but I still loved you as my own flesh and blood. You are your own person. You have your own wants and desires, your will to live and survive. Feelings, emotions, good days and bad days. All of that is you from the moment you took your first breath. You grew right before my eyes into the person you are now, I am proud to call you my daughter. There's no point in dwelling on the past, you must look forward to the future. That is why I taught you how to use weapons and give you an almost unbreakable skeleton. I felt it would have been wasted rotting away in that old military base anyway. So please, Chloe, no matter what you do, promise me that you live your own life to the fullest, help who you can and make your own future. Free from the evils of the Wasteland and the Institute's control. That is what it means to be alive. To be a person, a human being. I love you, my one and only Chloe. Never forget that, my daughter..."_

The holotape stopped and the Pip-Boy ejected the tape. She pulled it out and placed the items on the table next to her bed and laid down with tears of joy falling from her eyes. Happy that her father's final words showed how much she meant to him before sleep took her.

March 4/2296

The sun rose on another day and the four Wanderers came out from their rented rooms. "I'm telling you, Louis, she ran off with your Pip-Boy." Joe said to him.

"Does she look like kind of person to steal things?" Louis looked to him.

"No. She looks like the kind of person that wants to make a profit." Joe retorted.

The group then saw Chloe coming to them holding out the Pip-Boy. "I'm really sorry for not bringing it back sooner. I kinda fell asleep after hearing what was on it."

Louis happily took it and put it back on, the Pip-Boy reactivated. "Thank you very much. I gotta be honest, I felt kinda naked without it."

"Damn. Looks like I owe Victoria thirty caps..." Joe sighed with a grumbled.

"Is everything okay? What did the holotape say?" Victoria asked her.

"Let's just say...I know what I should have known from the beginning." Chloe smiled from the recording. "And on that note, I'd like to join you guys on your journey. If you would have me."

They all smiled in surprise. "Of course we would have you. But...I don't think we have the caps to keep paying you." Louis spoke to her.

Chloe chuckled and answered. "That's alright. We'll do odd jobs here and there for caps. And since the place we're going to might be from before the war, that means it's most likely filled with prewar goods. I'll take that as my payment."

"Sounds fair enough." Louis turned and started walking. "Let's say goodbye to Massachusetts and head to upstate New York!" he pointed forward.

"We still got a way to go, Louis!" Doug reminded him.

"So, Chloe, why did you want to come with us?" Victoria asked.

"Let's just say...my father gave me one last piece of good advice." Chloe answered.

The four wanderers were now five. A young woman, a synthetic lifeform now began her real journey into the Wasteland to carve out her own way in life. The group headed towards the sunrise with pride, knowing that Safe Trail was free from the old model Synths. The trip across the country still had a long way to go, but now they were one more person stronger.


	9. THEY LURK BELOW

**CHAPTER 9: THEY LURK BELOW.**

" _The soldier above all others prays for peace, for it is the soldier who must suffer and bear the deepest wounds and scars of war. -Douglas MacArthur._

March 7/2296

Three days passed since Chloe, the Gen 4 Synth, joined them. Making the group now five wanderers. They traveled a new old road in an arid region. The border to upstate New York was still far, but the group kept pressing on.

"Bored...so bored..." Louis sighed with his rifle slung over his shoulder.

"Not now, Louis..." Doug groaned.

"I have to admit, wandering can be boring." Joe commented.

"Better than being shot at all the time." Victoria said next.

"We haven't seen another settlement since we started two days ago." Chloe spoke next.

Louis looked at his Pip-Boy and looked to the map. "Nothing on the map. We're out in the open here in Pittsfield. Anything could happen."

"Why do you have to say things like that?" Doug sighed at him.

"Nothing is going to happen because I said it..." Louis looked to him.

The ground around them suddenly shook. They heard a loud rumble in the distance that sounded like thunder striking the land.

"See?! I told you, every time he opens his mouth, something like this happens!" Doug shouted while pulling out his shotgun.

"He's the devil! Kill him!" Joe said half jokingly.

"That sounded like an explosion." Chloe said as they heard another explosion. "It sounds like dynamite. I think someone is blasting for a mining operation."

"If that's the case, then it's nothing we need to worry about." Victoria smiled in relief.

Louis looked at the map again for a moment. "Actually...we need to go into the direction of the blasting to cross into upstate New York."

"Of fucking course..." Doug put his gun away. "Come on, let's go..."

The five wanderers headed towards the blasting, the noise was getting louder and louder as the ground shook harder with each blast. The five came up to a deep quarry with at least more than a hundred people below, another explosion was seen coming from a hole nearby at the rock wall. The people carried around mining gear with many prewar mining vehicles that some were working on. The equipment was carried by a small herd of Brahmin caravans, along with armed men and women as guards. Another blast rang out from the tunnel entrance the miners were making. The explosion sent chunks or old rocks and dirt flying out.

"They seem busy. We shouldn't bother them." Joe said to the group.

"It will be faster to get to the border by cutting through the quarry than to go around it. This place is huge." Louis looked at his Pip-Boy to check the direction.

"These people clearly aren't Raiders, I'm sure if we approach them and keep our hands where they can see them, they'll let us pass." Victoria said as they started walking down the hill.

"Yeah, pass on into the afterlife." Doug muttered.

It took them several minutes to reach the bottom of the quarry by a slanted section against the rock wall on their side. The miners soon took notice of them as they reached the larger group near some old mining vehicles. An old man in dusty overalls and a mining helmet walked up to them, he also held a walking cane and had a metal brace around his right knee.

"Hello, sir! We're travelers, and we were hoping you would let us pass through the quarry. We're on our way to upstate New York, and this path is the quickest to the border." Louis asked the leader of the miners.

The miners just stood quietly and talking amongst each other, the five wanderers were becoming nervous as the lead miner started to laugh. "If that's all, then you can cross!" he walked over and held his hand out. "Folks call me Pappy. Nice to meet you fellas."

"Of course they do..." Doug secretly rolled his eyes.

"I'm Louis, and these are my friends. Doug, Joe, Victoria, and Chloe. We appreciate you guys letting us pass, the explosions drew us here." he said to the Pappy.

"Not surprising. That noise would attract a lot of attention." Pappy chuckled and looked to the mine. "We're blasting our way in to a new pocket of ore."

"What kind of ore are you mining here?" Louis asked.

"All kinds! Mostly metal ore for iron and steel." Pappy turned to the mine. "And once we get these mining vehicles working again, our production will be much faster. We ship the ore to all kinds of settlements that have old prewar smelting factories. I even heard of one big group of people are looking for train yards to get the railroads fixed. Just imagine the possibilities when people can start using trains across the country."

"Settlements can have better trade for starters. But won't that make the railroads and trains a target for all kinds of dangerous people?" Joe asked him.

"Anything we do is dangerous. There's lot's of people out there that are trying to make the world a better place. And all it takes is for someone to do it." Pappy chuckled happily. "But enough of me taking up your time. All you guys have to do is follow that path and walk up out of the quarry. You should reach the state border within an hour."

"If it's okay with you, I would like to have a look at your operation. It's not often we find such a well organized group of people doing something very good for others." Louis looked around the area.

"I don't see the problem in that." Pappy laughed again. "Take all the time you want. Everyone around here is friendly enough. And if you need some caps, there's plenty of work! Just about everyone here comes from settlements with work contracts."

"Thank you, we'll give it some thought." Victoria waved to him as they began to look around.

"Louis, why do you want to waste time around here? We're trying to cross into upstate New York." Doug looked to him.

"Why not? Look around you, all these people working together all civilized. When are we gonna see something like that again? These people want to make a difference in the Wasteland." Louis gestured to the workers going about their business.

"I have to agree with him. Being surrounded by people and not being shot at is a nice change of pace." Chloe said as she started wandering off. "I'm gonna see if they have any goods to sell. See you in a bit."

"I used to work in construction when I was eighteen to twenty. I might give these people some pointers." Joe walked off next.

"Then I guess we're taking a break." Doug threw his hands up in defeat. "I'm gonna see if there's something to eat around here. Maybe a chow station..."

"Looks like it's you and me, Louis." Victoria spoke while looking away a little.

"Sounds fine to me. Maybe I can help them with their construction vehicles." Louis said as they walked towards an old excavator.

The five wanderers spent the next hour checking out the quarry, talking to the miners and other people that worked for them. After awhile, they regrouped near the eating station and found Doug at one of the tables with a tray in front of him.

"Well, you found the chow station easily." Chloe said to him.

Doug finished his tray and pushed it a little forward. "It's not half bad..."

"So I guess we're gonna head out now that we've seen what these people got to offer." Joe spoke while sitting down.

"Yeah, I guess we've had our fun here." Louis said before looking to his friend. "And Doug, guess what, I had a talk with Pappy and some of his people in charge. I've established a trade agreement with them and your hometown. They'll send some representatives that way in the next few days. They will be sure to mention us when they arrive."

"Hmm, we actually could use some more metal. And we got plenty of goods to trade." Doug smiled a little and stood up from the table.

They were starting to leave as a horrible scream suddenly. Five miners came running out from the opening, one of them was badly wounded and bleeding. The miners started running over to help the miners that came out as Pappy quickly walked up to them as fast as he could. "What happened?! Was there an accident?!"

"It wasn't an accident! Something attacked us! The rest were taken!" one of them spoke.

"Taken?! How many were in there?" Pappy questioned.

"About twenty of us! Whatever was in there, they were fast! We didn't know what hit us until it was too late!" another miner said. "We barely managed to get out!"

Pappy turned around to the other miners. "I want everyone with a gun to gather around! And grab every single light equipment! We're gonna figure out what's going on in there!" he ordered everyone within hearing range.

As the miners started to disburse to gather what they needed, the five Wanderers heard everything they said. "I know you guys aren't going to like this, but I think we should help them." Louis said to the group.

"Going into deep dark tunnels wasn't in the job description!" Joe frowned at him.

"I hate to say it, but this seems like their priority. There's no reason for us to get involved." Chloe nodded in agreement.

"Come on, guys, I've already established a trade with these people for the town we came from. It wouldn't look good to just up and leave." Louis looked to the opening.

"We need to cross the state border! And I would prefer we do it before night comes, Louis." Doug looked to him, only to find that he was gone.

"Guys," Victoria got their attention and pointed at the Vault dweller. "He's already running towards the entrance..."

"I hate him..." Joe sighed as they followed.

Louis reached the entrance of the mine and grabbed one of the helmets and turned the light on, along with some heavy duty flashlights and flicked them on as the other four reached him. "Don't talk me out of it, guys."

"We're not. There's no point in trying." Doug said as he grabbed some flashlights.

Joe put on a helmet with a flashlight and grinned. "Kinda always wanted to use one of these things."

"Let's just get this over with." Chloe charged her plasma rifle up.

The five walked into the mine opening before anyone could stop them. Louis turned on his Pip-Boy light to better illuminate the place. So far they found nothing out of the ordinary except the small trail of blood leading out from the miner that was injured.

Doug pointed his shotgun towards the darkness. "It's quiet. Too quiet. And the one thing about the Wasteland is quiet is never good."

"We're in a cave." Louis bluntly stated.

"A cave in the Wasteland." Doug retorted. "If it's not a Vault, it's not completely safe."

"Just focus on whatever jumped the miners." Louis looked at his Pip-Boy screen to check for movement. "And for the record, the Vaults are never a hundred percent safe. There's all kinds of hazards if the place is not well maintained."

"Can you two cut the chatter and focus." Victoria said as she swept her flashlight across the ceiling.

"I am so having second thoughts of this..." Joe sighed.

Chloe turned her flashlight to another section with her plasma rifle aimed and ready. "I don't like this. We should have seen something by now." she suddenly stepped in something real sticky and looked down to see a patch of something white and thread like. "What in the world is this?..."

Louis looked to the white threads and realized what they were from an old book and gasped. "Oh...shit..." his Pip-Boy suddenly showed several blips and looked to see what was hiding.

Above them was a small swarm of eight legged horrors. The hairy bodies of the mutated spiders were around the size of a dog, their mandibles dripped with drool as they started scurrying down from the ceiling on threads of web.

"Open fucking fire!" Doug shouted as he shot the first spider that landed.

The group spread out to split the spiders up. Louis held his pump shotgun and aimed towards a spider that leaped for him and blew it back to the ground. A spider leaped onto Joe's back, the small claws of its legs dug into his body as its fangs were about to sink in. The Ghoul quickly leaped back and landed on the ground while splattering the spider. Three spiders surrounded Chloe and closed in quick. But she backed up from the creatures and fired quickly, the hot plasma melted their many eyed faces. Victoria still wasn't the best at shooting, luckily the rapid fire of her 12.7mm SMG just needed to pelt the spiders with a few bullets each and make them scurry off. More spiders came after them deep from within the cavern, they grouped up in a line and unloaded into the spiders, splattering blood and body parts all over.

The spiders started to flee with only a small group staying behind. Three of them turned and sprayed streams of webbing, the silky threads entangled Joe and Doug tightly and pulled to the ground. The spiders started to drag the two away from the group, Louis pointed his shotgun at the strand of webbing and shot Doug free. Victoria fired a burst of ammo into the lower abdomen of the spider dragging Joe. The section where the web came out splattered open and pulled out some of the organs and freed the Ghoul.

A spider dropped down from the ceiling and knocked Louis to the ground, its fangs dripping and about to sink into his back. Victoria quickly turned and kicked the spider in the side and off his back. The creature flipped a few times before getting back on its feet and scurrying for him with fangs bared. The Vault dweller rolled onto his back and fired a shell into its face. Joe broke free from the webbing just as a spider leaped for him. The Ghoul raised his arm and stopped it from sinking its fangs into him. The spider's mouth was just above his forearm and snapping at him, drool slowly dripping onto his jacket. Joe reached for his revolver and put three bullets into its mouth, the body went limp with the legs still twitching and blood pouring out. Doug finally wrest himself from the webbing as a spider scurried after him. He grabbed the handle of his fire axe and swung wildly, the side of the blade hacked into the mandibles and gave him the opening he needed to drive the blade into the spider's head.

"Die! You goddamn, eight legged freaks! Die!" Doug shouted and hacked away at the body until chunks splattered onto the ground.

"It's fucking dead, Doug!" Joe snapped at him and reached into his coat pocket. "In more than two hundred years, I have never been wrapped up in fucking spider web! I need a fucking smoke!"

"Save it for later! We don't have time! The miners won't last much longer." Louis said as he started reloading.

"What do you mean?" Victoria asked.

"Easy. Those spiders were trying to wrap us up like they almost did with Doug and Joe. They wrap their prey in webbing and take it back to their nest to eat later." Louis finished loading. "The miners must have accidently blast into their section and pissed them off."

"So the miners that were taken might be still alive!" Doug loaded his weapons as well. "Let's not waste another moment."

"I better get paid for this..." Joe said to himself.

"That's my line." Chloe looked to him.

They picked up the pace while following the spider trails all over the cavern floor. Soon they found the section where the miners were blasting and spotted their equipment and mining gear. The Vault dweller looked to a small stack of crates at the corner and went over to it.

Louis picked up the crowbar and popped the lid open. "Hell yes! This will give those spiders a bang like they've never felt before!" he reached in and picked up a bundle of dynamite.

"Someone get that away from him before he brings the mine down on us." Doug commented unimpressed.

"I actually like the plan. And I have the lighters to set those sticks off." Joe held up his lighter.

"Wait, lighters?" Victoria raised a brow.

Joe opened up his coat and showed that the inner pockets had five others.

"Jesus Christ, Joe." Louis shook his head.

"Come on, we must be near the tunnel the spiders came from." Chloe said while grabbing a few bundles.

They picked up a handful of bundles and pocketed them securely in their pouches. At the far end of them stood a massive hole in the wall with strands of spider webbing covering the walls and ground. They slowly entered the opening, their feet sticking to the webbing on the ground with a squelch. The tunnel had a distinct smell of new webbing, most of it was still wet with a sheen to it, meaning that the spiders have made it recently.

"They're expanding their nest. The miners might not have much time." Louis held his flashlight up to better light the path.

"And this damn webbing is everywhere! If we're not careful, our asses will get stuck." Doug pulled some webbing off his shoulder.

"Yes. You could say they've woven quite a web of trouble!" Louis chuckled.

"I am going to kick your ass one day." Joe rolled his eyes.

The group finally came out into a new cave section. Just about every inch of the cavern was covered in webbing with countless sacks of animal bones cluttered on the walls and ground. Above them was a massive mound of webbing sacks woven together in a massive clump and gave a faint glow that lit the cavern enough for them to see.

Chloe looked up to the webbing. "What's with that glow?"

Louis held his Pip-Boy up as it started ticking. "Hmm, seems to be some form of radiation that's lighting the webbing above. But we'll be okay, it's not high enough to be dangerous, and it's way up there."

"Like that makes it any better. We're right in their den." Joe kept his combat shotgun ready.

Victoria's eyes went over the dim room and spotted something at the back and pointed to it. "Hey, guys! I can see something over there!"

Against the wall was large sacks of webbing lined up in a row. Judging by the size of the web sacks, they clearly contained the missing miners inside. They could see some movements in the sacks, but they were weak from the ordeal of being abducted and wrapped.

"Holy shit, the miners! Let's go!" Louis said as they started running up to it. "Can any of you hear me?! Are you all right?!" he called to the sacks.

They heard the faint yelling of the men and women inside starting to struggle and scream. "That's them all right!" Doug pulled out his combat knife.

The five started cutting open the web sacks and freed one miner after another. The men and women were a little shaken up with some cuts and bruises, but for the most part fine.

"Head for that opening! It leads straight out of the mine!" Joe pointed to the entrance.

The miners started to flee as the last of them was cut out and ran for safety. "That should be all of them." Chloe reached for the bundles of dynamite she carried. "Now time to blow this place to hell."

"Hey, Louis, where are all the spiders anyway? We couldn't have killed them all." Doug asked as he peeled the webbing off his hands.

"Hmm, that is strange. We are right in their den." Louis wondered and looked over the place before spotting another section that was covered in webbing. He raised a brow curiously and went over to look at it. He went in closer and saw under the thin layer of web was hundreds of eggs clumped together and about to hatch any moment. "Oh, double shit! These are eggs! And that must mean..."

The group heard a deep hiss that echoed in the cavern. Above them a massive spider crawled on the web covered ceiling. It was at least five times the size of the other spiders, its many eyes locked on to the people below. Venom and drool dripped from its open mandibles and let go of the ceiling. A large rope of webbing helped it land on the ground and disconnect from its abdomen. The queen spider eyed the group once more and hissed shrilly before lunging after them.

"Holy fuck! How are we supposed to fight it?!" Joe started to panic.

Doug whipped out his fire axe. "Any way we can!"

Victoria drew an arrow with her bow. "Spread out so it can't target us all!" she launched the arrow and got the queen in one of its many eyes.

The spider queen hissed in pain from the arrow sticking out of its eye. Everyone began to spread out and surround the massive arachnid. But the creature turned to Doug and spat a big glob of webbing at him and pinned him to the ground. Joe pointed his combat shotgun and fired away. The buckshot pelted the side of its body and sent it into an angered frenzy and came after the Ghoul. The spider queen struck him with its legs and sent him flying to the ground with a hard slam. Chloe stepped in with her plasma rifle and shot it in the back to get it away from Joe.

The bolts of burning plasma sizzled its flesh and made the spider queen even more angry. Chloe made a run for it with the massive monster right on her heels. Victoria went to help cut Doug out of the webbing he was under while the Vault dweller distracted the spider queen by unloading his entire assault rifle clip into its side. Every shot barely dug into its thick hairy body, the spider queen turned to him and hissed. Its fangs dripped venom that burned the very ground under it.

Louis ran at full speed with a panic cry as the spider easily closed in on him. Doug finally got free from the webbing, being wrapped twice in one day only pissed him off more. He took out his Winchester and fired a little too angrily and erratic at the spider queen. Everyone kept pressing the attack on all sides of the spider queen, but their attacks barely inflicted much damage on its hard shelled body. And their ammo was starting to get low.

Louis sighed in exhaustion and put his rifle away. "This ends now!" he reached for a bundle and pulled out Joe's spare lighter. "Get clear, all of you!" he warned them and lit the cord.

The others saw what Louis was up to and ran for safety as he tossed the bundle towards the spider queen. It landed right under its legs and exploded, causing the cavern to shake from it. Bloody chunks hit the ground, three of its legs came flying off before the body collapsed with its sickly blood starting to flood around it. The spider queen gave a weak hiss and twitched weakly, trying in vain to move. Everyone slowly walked up to it, their guns pointed to finish it off.

"Alright! It's as good as dead!" Doug cheered and gave it a kick in the side. It hissed in response.

"Now let's blow this place and get out." Victoria took out her bundles of dynamite.

The spider queen started shrieking, its pained howl echoed across the chamber walls. "What the hell is she up to now?" Chloe frowned with worry.

They suddenly heard skittering and turned to the other chamber section and saw many more spiders coming after them. The spiders scurried across the walls like a wave, almost covering every inch of it.

Everyone slowly stepped back away from the queen. "She's calling for reinforcements! Run!" Joe shouted the obvious.

"Start lighting your dynamite! Throw a few to the ceiling!" Louis ordered and lit one of his.

The group started tossing lit bundles all around the place, the ones they threw to the ceiling stuck to the webbing and a few on the mound of eggs to end the next generation. They reached the tunnel opening and threw the last bundles down at the entrance as the spiders were closing in. The first set of dynamite went off and caused the ceiling to start collapsing as the mound of eggs were blown to chunky pieces. The dynamite at the entrance then went off next, causing it to collapse and crush any spiders still on their tails.

Bits of rocks and dirt rained down on them, the tunnel they were in rumbled and shook. Making the ground under their feet unstable and likely to trip if they weren't careful. Finally, they came flying out of the tunnel and gave it one last look. The spiders were trapped inside the chamber, they will most likely starve or suffocate to death. With the mine finally safe for use, the wanderers went back to entrance and found Pappy and a number of armed people coming in. The miners stopped in their tracks upon seeing the slightly beaten group.

"What in the world, you people defeated the spiders by yourself?!" Pappy exclaimed in surprise.

The group stopped walking to catch their breaths. "We...caused the tunnel to collapse. We crushed the spiders and their eggs. You shouldn't have anymore trouble with them." Louis sighed.

"And even if some survived, they should be weak enough to handle." Doug finished.

"My god, you people are saints!" Pappy laughed and went over to shake all their hands. "We will never forget this! Your town and every other settlement we come across will hear of you people!" he hugged Louis a little too tightly.

"It was nothing...just helping out..." Louis chuckled as Pappy finally let go.

With the spider threat over, the miners started scouting the tunnels to make sure they were safe to continue digging. Later, the five wanderers were rewarded with extra ammo and some caps and better directions of the area after getting cleaned and patched up. Pappy and some of the miners saw them off as they finally headed for the border into upstate New York.

"Despite the delay, we're about to cross into the next state." Louis spoke as the quarry was finally out of view.

"As long as we don't run into anymore giant spiders..." Victoria sighed.

"Not to worry, we'll run into some other form of mutant freaks eventually." Joe commented.

"Cheerful, Joe. Real cheerful."Doug scoffed at him.

The sun started to set as the five wanderers finally came up to a large sign that showed the next state, its faded and rusted letters saying in bold letters, 'WELCOME TO NEW YORK'. Now that they were in the upstate section, the time to cross it will only get much longer, along with the danger getting only higher.


	10. CANINE CONUNDRUM

**CHAPTER 10: CANINE CONUNDRUM.**

" _Cry 'Havoc!', and let slip the dogs of war." -William Shakespeare's Julius Caesar._

Night over the Wasteland, a group of people with flashlights were chasing after something in the dark. They shouted and yelled while following tracks in the dirt, tracks of very large canine paw prints.

"It's over there! Hurry!" one of them shouted.

"Don't let it get away!" another yelled.

The group soon shined their light on what they were looking for. It was a large dog, but in truth it was also half wolf, the kind of wolves that have mutated into slightly larger beings. Its fur was dull white with dark brown on all four of its paws, on the top of its head and down the entire back and on the tip of its shaggy tail with black ears pricked up and tall. It looked to the hunters with bright yellow eyes. The large dog growled deeply and barked at the hunters. One of the hunters aimed his rifle at it and fired, missing the dog but grazed its shoulder. The dog yelped and dashed off while leaving a small trail of blood.

"Idiot! Don't shoot!" the leader of the group snatched his rifle. "We need that mutt for the arena!"

The hunters started the chase again, but they soon lost the trail of blood and tracks. The dog managed to lose them near an old town, it watched the hunters run pass while still panting hard. The dog whimpered a little and walked into an old building with the door busted open. It sniffed the floor for a moment before laying down. Exhaustion finally took over as the huge dog went to sleep with its wound still hurting.

()()()()()()()()()

March 11/2296

The five Wanderers had been on the road for the past few days. Their journey would take some time in upstate New York, for the area was mostly burnt out towns and forests, along with small mountain ranges. So far they haven't ran into too much trouble, just the average critter and small group of Raiders. And just the other day they managed to barely see New York City in the distance. The city once known as the Big Apple still seemed to be standing, they even came into a settlement that told them they had trade routes to the city.

"How much longer until that next settlement?" Doug asked the group.

Louis held the map up and looked it over. "Still a bit longer. This map of Greenville is old and faded."

"We're gonna need more supplies soon. So we better find the settlement before dark." Victoria spoke.

"The funny thing is, the shop owner of that last place we were at seemed to warn us not to go to the next one." Chloe frowned a little. "It might be trouble for us."

"I think they just have some bad blood. Happens all the time..." Joe shrugged indifferently.

The group soon came up to a desolate town and decided to scavenge it. "Let's stop here for a bit, everyone stay within range of each other!" Louis waved to them before heading to one of the old stores.

"Whoever screams first because they're being attacked buys dinner!" Joe called out.

"It's not a race to see who gets attacked first, guys." Victoria said to them.

The group pilfered around in the main street of the town. Doug checked out a small corner store as Joe looked for anything like a liquor store. Chloe checked the cars while Victoria found a hardware store to search. Louis made his way behind an old shop in the back alley. He went over to a dumpster and slowly opened it, only to be hit by a horrible smell and dropped the lid.

"God, shit that smells!" Louis gagged and stepped away. "Sometimes the Wasteland really sucks..."

The Vault dweller suddenly heard the sound of junk clattering and reached for his gun. The back door of the building was ajar as the rustling got louder. He unlocked the safety and was about to aim as a large dog came out from the building. The two locked eyes, both of them not moving at all until the dog started wagging its tail.

"Hey there..." Louis crouched a little. "Are you okay? Are you lost? You look a little hurt..." he noticed the bullet wound on the shoulder that was covered in dry blood.

The dog whined a little and started slowly approaching him with a limp to its step, the Vault dweller got a better look at the huge dog. "Wow, you're a lot bigger up close..." he reached into his pouch and pulled out some dried meat. "Are you hungry? I'll bet you are."

The dog's tail started wagging like mad as Louis placed the jerky on the ground. The dog sniffed the meat before vigorously eating it all up. The Vault dweller then walked over to the side and looked at the wound.

"Hmm, seems like someone took a shot at you. But you don't seem vicious, probably a Raider getting their sick kicks." Louis slowly petted the dog's head, it didn't seem to mind while eating. "You're quite docile, or at least used to people." he then pulled out a stimpak and started moving the needle to the wound. "Don't worry, this will fix you up nicely."

The dog noticed he was up to something and started to move away. Louis quickly held on to the dog and buried the needle near the wound. The dog yelped in fear and got loose from his grip. It turned and started growling at him with a snap of its jaws as the wound was closing up. The dog suddenly felt the pain was gone and calmed down, its attitude turned back to normal and started becoming playful again.

"See? All better now." Louis kneeled down and started petting it. "Why don't you come with me? You deserve better than to just be a stray. Now come on, uh, boy." he quickly checked its gender. " Let's go meet my friends. I think you'll like them." the two started heading back to the group.

The other four gathered back together to show what they've found. "I've barely found shit..." Joe sighed at his haul.

"Where's Louis?" Victoria looked around for him. "He better not be in trouble..."

"I'm right here and fine!" Louis overheard as he came from around the corner. "And look what I found! A new friend! Which is a dog, in case you're wondering."

The dog followed him closely as the group gasped in surprise. "Good lord, Louis. That's not a dog, that's a horse!" Doug exclaimed in surprise at the dog's size.

"Is it safe to be near?..." Joe took a few steps back.

"He seems safe enough, guys." Louis kneeled down to pet him. "I found him injured and gave him a stimpak. He might have been someone's pet."

"And you think we can just take him? What if the owner is looking for him?" Victoria questioned.

"I said he might have been owned by someone, but you know how the Wasteland is." Louis started petting the dog's neck, making his leg thump. "And I think some Raiders might have taken a shot at him for fun."

Chloe stepped closer to the dog. "You still can't be serious. We can't keep this...drooling..." the dog panted happily and looked her in the eyes. "Smell...and mangy..." the dog tilted his head. She gave in to his cuteness and began petting him. "Oh! Let's keep him! Who's a good dog? You are!" she smiled happily and started petting the dog too.

"I am not cleaning up after him..." Joe mumbled.

"This is the Wasteland, Joe. He can take a shit anywhere!" Doug turned to him.

Joe threw his head back. "I was being fucking sarcastic! Geez!"

"I know, ass!" Doug sneered.

Victoria went over and started slowly petting his head. "I guess having a dog won't be so bad. We can teach him to hunt and search for things." she looked to Louis. "What shall we name him?"

Louis looked to the dog. "Hmm, I don't know, there's a lot we can name him. Maybe...Killer? Nah, too mean. Zwei? Nah, too cute. Duke? Nah, too obvious. Dogmeat? Nah, that's just weird. Hmm. This is a hard one." the Vault dweller pondered for a moment. "Let's see. I remember reading a book about the legendary King Arthur, and he had a dog named...Cavall! That's it! I'll name you Cavall!"

The dog started barking excitingly. "Hey, he seems to like it. That's a smart dog." Doug came over to pet him. To which the dog happily allowed him and leaped up to lick his face. "Okay, calm down! Easy boy! I swear, if he humps my leg..."

"Eh, he kinda reminds me of my dog when I was a kid, just not as big. I guess he'll be okay." Joe petted him next.

"Alright, now that Cavall has joined our crazy group, it's time to get moving." Louis smiled. "Come on, boy! Let's go."

Cavall barked in joy and followed them closely. The group of six continued on for awhile until they came up to the next settlement called The Bite Pit and walked in. The place looked horribly rundown and falling apart, and a lot of the people looked sketchy at best and it didn't seem like there was much to offer anyway.

"Anybody getting the feeling we could be stabbed at any moment?" Joe asked the group.

"I'd say stabbed, killed, robbed, and raped before being left in a ditch." Doug looked around the place.

"Just stay close to each other, we'll be fine." Louis placed a hand on his magnum.

Cavall's ears were perked down and seemed very on edge. Some of the people in the settlement took notice of them, and some of the people had dogs with them and even some other Wasteland creatures in cages.

"I've got a really bad feeling about this." Chloe looked at the dogs and animals in cages.

"That's because I know exactly what this is." Victoria answered in disgust. "Jeremiah would go to these things all the time, these places are dog fights. And the worst thing is, a lot of them were just warm ups, they would pit all kinds of animals against each other and even people against animals. All for people's sick entertainment."

"Then I think we should just leave before people get the wrong idea." Louis said as they started walking faster.

"Whoa, look at the size of that dog!" a few dusty looking people walked up to them. "You guys are gonna win the five thousand cap prize with a monster like that!"

Joe stroked his chin with intrigue. "Five thousand caps, huh?..."

"Joe!" Victoria snapped at him.

"I'm kidding! Why is everyone on my ass today?!" Joe threw his head back and grumbled.

"I'm sorry, but we're not participating in any form of animal fight. It's wrong." Louis stepped in front of Cavall. The large dog started to growl a little.

"You guys can't be serious! That dog will tear the others apart! We haven't seen a good fight in a long time!" the next one said with excitement.

"I said we're not interested in any dog fights! Now go on before there's a fight right here!" Doug warned as he placed his hand on his shotgun.

"Fine! You guys can go fuck off." the group turned to leave.

"We can't get out of this town sooner." Doug said as they quickened their pace.

The group pressed on to the other end of the settlement, but they need to cut through the center first. And as they got further in, they soon realized that there was a large group of people cheering as they came up to the source. There was a large pit dug into the ground with the walls surrounded by metal sheets and other pieces to hold it together. The top of the pit was covered by a chainlink fence with wide holes so everyone above could get a good view. Inside the pit was two large dogs fighting, the people cheered as the animals tore into each other. Blood covered the dirt until one managed to topple the other and sink its teeth into the throat to kill it. The people watching cheered as two men with poles came into the pit to drag the winning dog away and dragged the dead one off to prepare for the next fight.

"So sick and wrong." Louis shook his head. Cavall whimpered a little, the Vault dweller pet his head to calm him.

"Like I said before, this was Jeremiah's idea of fun." Victoria spoke before they turned away from the pit.

As they turned, there was several people standing in front of them, and they already had their hands on their guns. "Well, well, well. Look what we found here! We spent all night looking for that mutt and you guys bring him home!" the leader of the group laughed.

Cavall's ears were perked low and he started to growl, his teeth bared and his fur standing on end.

"So you're the sick bastards that tried shooting him?" Louis wanted to reach for his guns, but the hunters had the drop on them.

"If it makes you feel better, that was this idiot's fault." the hunter leader pointed to the man with the rifle. "We don't want to shoot that dog, we want him to fight in the pit! That half dog, half wolf of a monster will slaughter everything that fights him!"

"Like hell we're gonna allow you sick fuckers take him!" Doug reached for his shotgun as the hunters quickly pointed theirs at them again.

"Now listen, we don't want to fight you guys. But we're taking that mutt! You may think he's a sweet family pet, but I can assure you all, he's a demon of a beast." the lead hunter stepped in front of Louis. "The people that bred these kind of dogs crossed them with mutant wolves that were a lot larger than normal. They were meant to be fighters! Not house pets."

Three of his men went over with pole lassos and caught Cavall by the neck. The large dog struggled against their pull as the five Wanderers were about to attack, but they were once again reminded of the guns pointing at them.

One of them holding a single hand crossbow pointed his weapon at Victoria and chuckled with crooked teeth and lust in his eyes. "You with the red hair, you're pretty..."

"Just shoot me..." Victoria said to herself in disgust.

Cavall pulled against his captors, but they managed to slowly wrangle him into the cage area where they put the animals before they're dropped into the pit. The hunter leader and his men forced the group to the arena cage, they poked them in the backs to make them move.

"What are you doing now?! We're not going to let you do this to Cavall!" Louis turned his head to him.

"Cavall? You guys named that animal? How cute..." the hunter leader jammed his gun into Louis' back again. "I just want you guys to watch this fight. So you can see what kind of beast your pet is. Who knows, I might have done you guys a favor."

The hunters finally unleashed Cavall and slammed the cage shut. The large dog barked and tried to claw his way out of the cage, but nothing he did could get him out of his sturdy prison. The announcer of the arena then started to rile up the crowd for the next pit fight by using a microphone set.

"Gather around, everyone! Place your bets for the next event! We have a massive mongrel of a dog against one of our current campions, Mr. Snapper! The deadly red Radscorpion! So get ready for a cage match!" the announcer called out, making the crowd cheer with anticipation.

Cavall was forced down the caged tunnel by men with wooden poles and into the arena pit. The gate from across the pit opened up as a Radscorpion, which was red as hell, came out. Its claws clicked together and its tail swung around, ready to sting. The people above started placing their bets, the amount for both fighters was more or less even, so it was anyone's match at that point.

"Would it be okay if I step away to place some bets?..." Joe asked their captors.

"Seriously, Joe?!" Louis frowned at him.

The Ghoul sighed once more. "This just isn't my day..."

The fight below started, the red Radscorpion charged for Cavall as he quickly leaped out of the way and went for the back left leg. The massive dog bit down hard and crunched right through the shell. The mutant scorpion hissed and turned to attack and managed to clamp Cavall's back left leg with one of its pincers. Cavall howled in pain before lunging forward and bit the side of its face and broke the left mandible off. The Radscorpion raised its tail and took a swing with its stinger, Cavall managed to dodge in time as the Radscorpion began to sting wildly. Cavall started to run around the arena with the red scorpion almost literally on his tail.

The people cheered for the fight, Louis felt the hunter leader jab the gun into his back again. "Hey! I'm starting to get a lot of mixed signals with you jabbing me all the time!"

"Just making sure you know I hold your lives in my hands." the hunter leader chuckled. "This is what real entertainment is like! Beasts fighting each other, nature at its truest form!"

"Buddy, I grew up in a Vault, and this shit isn't close to natural. Even before the bombs dropped. I'm not some piece of shit hunter that needs a dog to earn my pay."

The hunter leader poked the gun to his head. "And I'm not the one with a gun to the back of my head! So you better enjoy the show, it might be your last."

A sudden gamble formed in Louis' mind and looked into the pit. "Well that sucks. Because the dog just lost..."

The hunter leader gasped in surprise. "That's impossible! We put everything on that mutt." he stepped to the side to try and look down, but saw that Cavall was still fighting.

Louis turned around and grabbed the gun in his hand. The two struggled and thrashed around as the Vault dweller forced the weapon into the air and caused him to fire a few shots. The people around the pit panicked and ran off, leaving the area mostly evacuated excepted for a few stragglers that wanted to watch the show.

"You assholes over there! Take it out of the settlement!" the announcer yelled at them, only for his cries to fall on deaf ears.

Louis and the hunter leader struggled against each other for the gun. His men were distracted by their leader's fight while the other four suddenly sprang into action by attacking the hunters behind them. Joe elbowed the man behind him as Chloe turned and kicked her guy in the groin. Doug head butted the man behind him, breaking his nose with ease. Victoria socked the man with the crossbow in the throat and took the weapon from him and fired a bolt into his knee to prevent him from getting up and tossed it to the ground.

The Vault dweller and hunter leader were still fighting as they fell over the rails of the pit and slammed on top of the cage. The chainlink fence started to give as the gun was dropped to the ground below, they started exchanging blows to each other and tossing around.

Cavall was covered in cuts and bruises, his fur was starting to become soaked in blood. The Radscorpion wasn't fairing any better, three of its legs were crippled and it could barely move its right pincer, and the tail had a number of bits on it. The scorpion attacked again as Cavall moved to the side and attacked, he bit down on the tail again near the stinger and held tight. The two animals struggled in a deadlock before Cavall bite down harder and broke the stinger off. The Radscorpion shrieked in pain with blood spraying out.

The chainlink fence finally gave out and the two came falling into the arena not too far from Cavall and the Radscorpion and hit the ground hard, knocking the wind out of them for a moment.

The hunter leader managed to roll on top of Louis and started to strangle him. "You are gonna pay for this! I'll see to it that your friends go up against Deathclaws so they can be ripped to pieces! But you'll die right here in this pit!"

Louis managed to throw his fist and hit the hunter in the face to get him off and got back up. "Not a chance! It's round two now, asshole!"

Another of the hunters jumped into the pit with a knife in hand and started to go after Louis from behind, ready to stab him. The hunter was almost close enough as Cavall barked and leaped, the man was caught off guard as the massive dog bit down on his throat and toppled him to the ground. The man screamed as blood poured from his mouth, his struggle was over in moments as the leader took notice and cried out.

"No! You damn dog! You're not worth the caps!" the hunter leader started running for the gun on the ground.

Louis saw what he was up to and spotted the stinger laying on the ground and grabbed it. The hunter leader was about to grab the gun as the Vault dweller stabbed him in the gut with the stinger. The hunter leader gagged in agony, venom filling his blood before falling back to the ground with the stinger still in him. He gargled and twitched on the dirty ground before his eyes rolled back and finally died.

The Vault dweller sighed in relief and took a moment to catch his breath. The Radscorpion started to come after him as Cavall leaped on its back and bit down on the head and killed it. Louis turned to Cavall as he slowly walked up to him, whimpering in pain.

Louis kneeled down and gently petted him. "Thank you, Cavall. I owe you big time, now let's get the hell out of here." Cavall started to go limp from fatigue, Louis quickly picked him up and slung him over his shoulders and stood up. "Wow! You're a lot heavier than you look!" he strained a little and started to go towards the opening he and the hunter leader made.

The other four took care of the last hunters and saw Louis coming to the opening. They quickly climbed over the rails and held their hands out to pull him and Cavall up and out of the arena. With The Bite Pit in chaos, the group ran for the exit and kept going until they found an old Red Rocket gas station and stopped to rest. Cavall was in very bad shape. His cuts were deep and his breathing very weak.

Louis pulled out another stimpak from his pouch. "Only one choice now. This fixed him up before, it will fix him again."

"He only had a small injury before, and that Radscorpion really fucked him up." Doug said as he kneeled down to pet Cavall's head gently.

"It's his only hope. But if he does die, it won't be in some cage for people's fun." Louis injected Cavall in the front leg.

Several moments passed as they watched, Cavall seemed to fall asleep, making them fear the worse. But soon his wounds began to close and he perked back up. His tail wagged with joy and slowly stood back up and energetic as ever.

"It worked! Thank god it worked!" Chloe smiled and petted him.

"Good thing these stimpaks are so versatile." Louis tossed the used item aside and began to pet Cavall. "You put up a good fight in that arena. But you are officially retired from cage matches. So you'll be coming with us from now on."

"We should find a clean river first. The poor dog is covered in his own dried blood." Doug commented.

"He's right, all that blood will attract a bunch of dangerous animals." Victoria said as she twirled her crossbow.

"I'm guessing you're gonna keep that thing?" Joe asked her.

"The asshole I shot in the knee won't be needing it anymore." Victoria smiled before slinging it. "And I lifted his pouch of bolts for it too."

Louis stood back up and checked his Pip-Boy. "I got a new direction of the signal. Time to get going. Let's go, Cavall! You're one of us form now on."

Cavall barked happily and followed beside them to find a river first. The five wanderers have become six, the addition of a loyal and strong canine companion will help them immensely on their journey across the Wasteland to the end of the signal.


	11. MUTATED ASSAULT

**CHAPTER 11: MUTATED ASSAULT.**

" _Humans are mutants, everything's a mutant - things that evolve." -Oscar Isaac._

The state of New York, one of many that had a growing number of Super Mutants. The vicious, yellowish green, burly, and asexual beings were some of the most recognizable horrors in the Wasteland. In an old prewar town, around nineteen Super Mutants have made the place their home. And anyone walking in would recognize it right away from all the gore bags and hand built fortifications of their twisted design. The Super Mutants made the old mayor's office their main base, several of them and some mutant hounds patrolled the entrance with one Mutant on a makeshift post at the top of the court house was on lookout. The Super Mutant then spotted something coming towards them, it was a group of people traveling through the town.

The group of people were more than a dozen in number, and they were lightly armed and traveling with children. They looked like they have traveled for a long time and were looking for a new settlement to live that was in the area.

The Super Mutant at the post looked down to its brethren. "Kin! Humans are coming! A group! Weak! Easy to kill! Down main road!"

The Super Mutants below made their battle cry and started moving towards the people, bloodthirsty and ready to slaughter the defenseless humans that have unknowingly come into their territory. The travelers were about halfway to the Mutant's base, some of the ones in the lead were starting to argue about the direction they were on before hearing sounds of yelling coming their way and started to panic from the danger.

But before they saw the group of Super Mutants coming after them, another Super Mutant came running out from an old building near them. Unlike the rest of its kin, the Super Mutant was light green and wore surprisingly well made armor. It wore Brahmin leather pants with metal plates covering most of the legs and feet with a chain for a belt. Its abs area was wrapped in a black tubing mesh that was melted together to make a solid and flexible protection with some metal studs. Its shoulders and upper arms were covered in fitted metal plates held together by thick leather with the forearms covered in metal guards that had screws and nails poking out from the top.

The Super Mutant held a sledgehammer in its hand and turned to the group of people. They were stunned in horror as the Super Mutant screamed at them, waving its sledgehammer around. But for some reason, the big green being didn't attack them, it stood there and glanced back to its kin that was coming.

"Go! Run, now! Get out here!" the Super Mutant whispered loudly to them. "Go while you still can! Please hurry!" it started yelling again to get them running.

The people finally snapped out of their shock and ran. The Super Mutant sighed in relief as its kin finally reached the street where it was and saw that the people were already too far for them to catch up. They all yelled and screamed in rage that their next meals got away.

"What did you do?! We had them! You scared them away!" one of the Brutes yelled at it.

"I got excited! Wanted to kill them!" The Super Mutant replied hesitantly.

The group of Super Mutants suddenly split apart as if on command. Another Super Mutant marched through the opening, it was an Overlord, the aged and bulky abomination walked up to the Mutant that allowed the people to get away. "What have you done?! You let another group of humans get away!" the Overlord bellowed, it stood almost a foot over the strange Super Mutant. "We are hungry! We are tired of eating moles and scorpions and other plain meat! We want human meat! And we need more humans to make more of us!"

"I am sorry, Overlord. It won't happen again." the Super Mutant nodded.

But suddenly, the Overlord raised its fist and socked the Mutant in the face and sent it falling to the ground with a loud thud. "You say that last time! We low on ammo and food! And you keep losing them! Now go back to hitting hot metal! You too much trouble!" the Overlord pointed back to the mayor office.

The strange Super Mutant wiped the blood from its mouth and got back up and started heading to the old building. "It's called smithing, you meat head." it said to itself.

Once it reached mayor office and went in, the Super Mutant walked to the very back room of the building. The mutated creatures have indeed made the building their own, decaying body parts and bones were hung up on hooks, many gore bags laid on the floor with flies buzzing all over them. The rooms were also filled with weapons, various items that they've stolen, and cages that were thankfully empty at the time.

The Super Mutant came into a concrete room with a built in forge. All kinds of metal materials were scattered on tables with tools and anvils, the walls had all forms of metalwork hooked up. The items made in the forge were randomly shaped and useless, some would even think they were attempts at art. The Super Mutant soon got the forge burning again and laid a piece of metal into the fire and started to heat it up.

Soon the metal was red hot as the Super Mutant pulled it out with long tongs and started hammering it on the nearby anvil. "I don't belong to these Super Mutants. Maybe I just don't belong anywhere..." it sighed to itself before continuing to hammer away to make whatever came to mind.

()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()

March 15/2296

The massive dog named Cavall ran back towards his new owners, in his mouth a fresh, large rabbit that he hunt down and caught. He soon found the group and dropped the rabbit in front of them.

"Good boy, Cavall! You're living up to the reputation of your namesake!" Louis praised him with a pat and picked up the rabbit.

"Well, it's better than the mutant squirrel the day before." Joe chuckled while giving Cavall a pet too.

"He's a good hunter. And since we've been on the road for a few days in Prattsville, finding food is becoming a little hard." Chloe said while taking in the mostly burnt out forest.

"Don't worry, I think we're almost to the state border of upstate New York. The next state will be Pennsylvania." Louis pulled out a map to check it over.

"So we're still going farther and farther across the country." Victoria sighed a little in disappointment.

"It's not all bad. We're having crazy fun, aren't we?" Louis asked with a smile as he put the map away.

"Speak for yourself..." Doug chimed in.

The group went over the hill of the road and saw another settlement that was once a factory. "Look at that. I've never seen a factory made into a place to live." Joe said to them.

"I don't care what they made it out of as long as they got booze." Doug was eager for a drink.

"As a matter of fact I could use a drink myself." Louis smiled.

"Same here as long as they have gin." Joe adjusted his rifle sling over his shoulder.

The group soon saw the sign hanging above the town. It was called Smelter's Grove. The entrance used to be the employee parking lot. The chainlink fence surrounding the area was covered by metal sheets for better protection. The old factory was filled with many people, shops of all kinds were set up near the entrance of the factory. The inside acted as a living section for a few hundred people, making the entire factory a livable shanty town.

The six wanderers took in the sites of the factory town by browsing the shops for ammo, weapons, and supplies. The residents seemed to take notice of the odd group of people.

"Why is it that everywhere we go, people look at us?" Doug asked as he glanced to some of the people looking at them.

Louis was looking at a new assault rifle he was considering. "I think they're mostly looking at me. I am a Vault dweller on the surface with a group of people and probably some very valuable things."

"Do you have valuable things?" Victoria asked.

"My Pip-Boy for starters. And my Vault Jumpsuit is made of rare materials, and my boots are made of super comfortable leather that makes every step feel like I'm stepping on clouds." Louis beamed a big smile.

"You better be lying about the boots. Or I may have to rob you..." Joe glared at him.

Chloe was buying ammo for her plasma rifle and noticed she was low on caps. "We're gonna have to find work soon. I'm sure all of you are low on caps."

"Dammit, she's right." Doug sighed and put the revolver he was looking at back down on the shop table. "We've been through a lot in the past couple of days."

"Then let's look around and see if anyone has got something for us." Louis placed the rifle back down. "We'll meet up at that restaurant over there later." he pointed to the handmade building near the factory entrance.

The six wanderers spread out with Cavall following Louis. They asked around for over an hour but didn't find anyone that was hiring, some even gave the wanderers colorful responses when they asked. Doug punched one of the shop keepers in the face when no one was looking and walked off. More than an hour passed before they regrouped near the diner to sit down and eat.

"So I guess you all didn't find any jobs?" Victoria asked them.

"Not a damn one." Joe answered as he lit a cigarette.

"I punched out a shop keeper who was being an asshole..." Doug smiled deeply.

"We're all proud of you..." Chloe rolled her eyes at him.

"I think we'll find something sooner or later. We just have to keep looking." Louis tried to cheer them up. Cavall seemed to bark in agreement.

()()()()()()()()

Unknown to the people of Smelter's Grove, a horde of Super Mutants were marching their way. The abominations were armed and ready to attack the unsuspecting people as they exited the burnt out forest. In the lead was a Brute, the second in command of the horde was leading them while the Overlord waited back in the old town.

The Brute took a few steps forward and scanned the town before pulling out its assault rifle and turned to the Super Mutants behind them. "Kin! Ahead is a town! Filled with puny humans! Attack them! Capture them! Bring them all back to eat! And those strong enough will become more of us!"

The Super Mutants shouted with bloodlust filled joy and readied their weapons. The yellowish green beasts charged for the factory settlement's lightly guarded side at the west end. A few of them tossed grenades at the weak wall as they exploded and blew a huge opening for the Super Mutants to come through.

()()()()()()

Back at the diner, the Wanderers and the people in the area felt the rumble of the explosion. They stopped eating and looked around as the people started to worry.

"What the fuck was that?! Doug asked no one in particular.

Cavall started to growl, Louis gently pat his head to calm him. "Something's not right. That was an explosion."

Joe grabbed his combat shotgun and loaded it. "I think we got trouble..."

"What trouble can it possibly be?" Chloe asked while holding her plasma pistol.

"Run! Run away! Super Mutants have breached the wall!" a man screamed while running.

"Super...Mutants...shit..." Victoria slowly spoke in shock before another explosion rang out.

The six wanderers saw the side of a nearby building explode, the pieces showered to the ground as the yellowish green menaces came running out from the dust. The Super Mutants screamed in joyful rage and fired away with their various and mismatched weapons. The yellowish green monsters shot at everything, they had no target in mind and reveled in watching the people run and scream.

"Puny humans! Super Mutants are the future!" one of them with an assault rifle screamed.

Louis quickly flipped their metal table over and took cover before they returned fire at the abominations. They shot one of them with several rounds, but the creature only slowed down as the rest turned and fired at them. The six ducked behind the table just as the bullets started to pelt it, but their cover would soon give out.

"Super Mutants! My god, I thought I would never see those things! I never wanted to see them!" Doug began to panic, the fear of fighting the mutant monsters creeping up on him.

Louis quickly patted him on the shoulder. "Calm down. You never gave up on a fight before, so I know you won't turn from this!" he said before firing a few shots at the mutants. "They bleed like any other creature! And if it bleeds, it dies!"

"Okay, fine! Enough with the pep talk!" Doug grabbed his Winchester and popped several shots.

Their cover was starting to give out from damage. "We need to go! Our cover is about to give out!"

"On it!" Chloe pulled out one of her plasma grenades. "I hate to waste it, but we have no choice."

The Synth woman tossed the grenade over, it landed near the group of advancing Super Mutants. One of them noticed the grenade and alerted the others to get out of the way just as the grenade went off in a dome of green plasma. The six wanderers quickly moved from their hiding spot and ran with the Super Mutants chasing after them. They ran to the main section of the settlement, the people who couldn't fight were routed into the factory as the guards of the settlement quickly headed to where the Super Mutants were coming. There was about forty guards, but everyone knew a single Super Mutant was worth several people, and there was about fourteen of the yellowish green horde attacking. The guards of the town got into defensive positions all around the area and fired. The Super Mutants also grabbed random junk and items that was used to build the town like concrete slabs, car bodies, and large sheets of metal to protect themselves.

They leaped behind one of the makeshift barricades with the other settlement guards to fight with them. The attacking forces were at a standstill, bullets, lasers, and plasma was exchanged. Several of the guards were already shot, about seven of them already killed and some bleeding out. The Super Mutants were also getting shot, but their wounds were only minor to them and didn't hit any place vital because of their thick skin. And the pain from their gunshot wounds only made them more aggressive as they pressed their attack. The Wanderers weren't fairing any better with the barricade taking a lot of damage, and they needed to be careful with their ammo and make every shot count.

"Damn monsters!" Joe shouted and reloaded his hunting rifle. "I've only seen a few handful of Super Mutants in my life, and they're scary as shit every fucking time!"

"You've only seen a few handful of them?" Doug asked while firing the last few rounds of his Winchester. "I figured you would have seen a lot more than that!"

"I'm not a fucking idiot that goes looking for Super Mutants to fight! I would have never lived this long!" Joe responded to him snidely.

"Guys, focus! We can't get killed here like this!" Victoria shouted at them as she reloaded.

Cavall could only bark for them, the Super Mutants started advancing forward while keeping the guards and wanderers pinned down. "Die! Puny humans! You die here! You will be our meat!" the Brute yelled as it fired wildly.

Louis quickly noticed the Brute giving the commands to the rest. "That one seems to be in the lead! If we take it out, the others might run!" the Vault dweller took out his magnum and fired at the Brute.

The Brute was hit in the leg, shoulder, lower stomach, and through the left eye. The Super Mutant Brute screamed in pain while covering its bleeding eye. "Ahh! Damn stupid human! I'll kill you! Kill all of you! Die! Give me missile launcher!" it turned and ran back to its kin.

"Did that thing just say missile launcher?..." Doug asked the obvious.

The Super Mutant Brute was handed a quad-barrel missile launcher. It smiled with murderous joy and aimed at the barricades and fired. The four missiles were shot in rapid succession, each one hit a barricade and sent concrete and metal flying. It then reloaded the launcher and fired again, this time hitting the barricade the six Wanderers were hiding behind. They only got a few feet from it as the shock wave sent them flying and slamming the ground hard. The Brute fired two more sets of missiles from the quad barrel, killing more of the settlement guards and sending everyone else falling to the ground in defeat.

Black smoke rose to the sky as fire burned in various places. The Super Mutants began searching the area for items to loot and survivors to take. Louis' eyes slowly opened, his head pounded with pain and was sure he had a number of bruises from hitting the ground. He saw one of the Super Mutants pick Victoria up off the ground and throw her over its shoulder. She was unconscious and lightly bleeding from her forehead, Louis tried to reach out to her, but he could barely move at all. The Super Mutants decided now was the time to leave, despite nearly blowing the settlement guards to pieces, they had suffered a lot of injuries and were very low on ammo. They kidnaped about thirteen people and started marching back to the entrance they made and left. The rest of the Wanderers managed to regain consciousness, their bodies aching in pain but mostly unharmed.

"Goddamn those Super Mutants!" Chloe moaned while rubbing the back of her neck. "I'm really starting to like my metal skeleton..."

"I need a drink to numb this pain..." Joe picked himself up from the ground.

Doug stood back up and checked on Cavall. "Hey there, boy. You okay?" he petted the giant dog that licked him in return. "Hey, Louis! You okay?"

The Vault dweller got up, despite the pain coursing through him. "Vic? Vic...Victoria! She's gone! The Super Mutants took her!" he said before stumbling forward in pain.

The rest gasped in shock. "You can't be serious! Please tell me you're mistaken!" Doug said to him in panic.

"Do you see her anywhere around here?" Louis asked before clutching his head in pain.

"We need to round up the settlement guards! I think those monsters took several of them too." Joe looked to the guards that were scrambling all over the place.

"There's not enough time. I know a thing or two about Super Mutants, and they are either gonna eat them, or even worse, make them into Super Mutants!" Chloe interjected and looked to the disorganized guards. "And they're too busy as it is with taking care of the injured and dead."

Louis pulled out a stimpak and injected himself to heal. "Then we go after them! The Super Mutants won't expect a small group following them! We have to get her back, I refuse to let her die after finally getting her freedom!"

"This is crazy! They are Super Mutants!" Joe pointed in the direction they went. "Believe me, I want to help her as much as you do, but we need to think this through! I don't even think we managed to kill any of them."

"But they're injured, I even shot the leader in the eye." Louis started reloading his guns. "It's our only chance to get her back."

Doug knew there wasn't anyway to talk him out of it. "Alright, but first we need to make a shopping trip."

"I don't think the store owners are in the mood to be open right now." Joe pointed out to him. Doug turned and gave him a look. "Oh...I get what you're saying. Not bad at all, Doug." the Ghoul caught on and winked.

Louis and Chloe soon caught on to what Doug meant as they came up to the nearby gun stand that was in pieces and took as much ammo they needed, along with several different grenades and a few pounds of C4 and detonators. Louis placed around two hundred caps under the stand to pay for some of the things they took. Soon they stood at the opening the Super Mutants made and looked towards the burnt out forest.

"We will get you back, Victoria. I swear it." Louis said and armed his assault rifle. "And we'll show those Super Mutants not to mess with us!"

The five followed the tracks the Super Mutants left behind, knowing they were probably getting in way over their heads against them. But they didn't care, they could not leave one of their own behind at the nonexistent mercy of the mutated abominations and the horrible things they do to people.


	12. THE RAREST KIND OF SUPER MUTANT

**CHAPTER 12: THE RAREST KIND OF SUPER MUTANT.**

" _If everyone fought for their own convictions there would be no war." -Leo Tolstoy._

The first thing Victoria realized was that she was moving when she awoke. She opened her eyes and saw the ground below her and quickly realized she was slung over the shoulder of a Super Mutant. The crimson redhead felt a jab of pain in her forehead, she figured there was cut or bruise. Victoria slowly moved her eyes and saw the other Super Mutants, and most of them were carrying a person too.

"Stupid human! Stop struggling! Or I break your bones!" one of them screamed at its captive.

"How many of these humans will the Overlord make into us?!" one of them asked the Brute.

"Don't know! Overlord decided that! I would rather eat them!" the Brute frown in anger. "Stupid human with long coat shoot me in eye! Can't see out of eye! I kill him! Kill him good! Smash him into ground!" it placed a hand on its wound.

"Louis..." Victoria whispered to herself, knowing he was the one that shot it. She noticed her weapons were missing, the Super Mutant carrying her had them at its hip in a large sling, along with all the ammo.

"Ha! We still make those humans run scared! They can't stop us!" another shouted out loud.

"Yeah! We take many of their ammo and weapons!" the one carrying Victoria shouted. "This red hair lady have bow! Bows are weak! Arrows are for weaklings!"

Victoria quietly growled in anger, she wanted to put an arrow in them so bad. The Super Mutants soon walked into the prewar town. They were greeted by the other Super Mutants waiting for them as if they were conquering heroes. They took the weapons and ammo to their armory as the ones carrying the prisoners went to the back room. Most of the captives started to regain consciousness and started to panic, but the abominations were quick to make them quiet down by throttling them. Soon the prisoners saw the cages filling the room and Victoria began to panic in terror. The cages filled her with dread, the memories of being a slave made her want to flee her captors, no matter what.

"No! I will not be put in a cage again!" Victoria suddenly shouted and elbowed the Super Mutant carrying her in the back of the head.

"Ow! Stupid bitch! Make head hurt!" the Super Mutant yelled.

Victoria managed to slip out of her captor's grip. She landed hands first on the floor and rolled, she looked to the other captors that were being shoved into the cages. She wanted to help them, but she was no match against all the Super Mutants, especially without weapons. "I promise I'll get help! Just hold on!" she said to them before making a dash for the exit.

But one of the Super Mutants quickly grabbed her by the throat and squeezed hard. "You stupid red hair! You can't escape us! We stronger than all of you!" it tossed her roughly to the floor. "Now I kill you so you don't cause more trouble!"

"Stop, idiot!" the Super Mutants froze up as the Overlord stomped into the room.

Victoria looked up to the aged mutant, trembling slightly in worry. She had heard many things about Overlords, how they command hordes of other Super Mutants and are tremendously strong and much smarter in combat. They were the most fearsome type, just a level below Behemoths.

The Overlord looked down to her, its massive size overshadowing her. It then kneeled down a little and grabbed a few strands of her loose hair and grinned. "Your hair, red like blood! I like blood, I like it when it comes pouring out of weak humans! You too strong to eat! You become one of us!"

"I would rather die!" Victoria bared her teeth at the Overlord.

The Overlord just chuckled and grabbed her by the neck. "You have no choice!" it lifted her up like a rag doll and went to a cage in the corner and tossed her in. The Overlord slammed the door shut and locked it. "We need more of us! You will be more of us! I'll come back for all of you later when I decide what to do!" it pointed to the rest of the prisoners.

The Super Mutants laughed at the people before turning and leaving the room. Victoria got up from the floor and ran to the cage door and started banging and rattling it in a desperate attempt to escape. But she finally gave up after her hands started to hurt and sat back down on the floor, the cage was against the wall. She rested her back against the cage and brought her knees up to her face with her arms crossed on top of them.

"Not a fan of cages, are you?" the town guard in the cage next to her asked.

Victoria looked up and turned her head to him. "I was a slave for most of my life. I've only been freed for more than a month."

"Unfortunately, these Super Mutants aren't looking for slaves. They either want to eat us or make us into them. I don't know which is worse." the guard said as he leaned back against his cage. "Were you serious about getting help?"

"I would never leave people behind like this. If I know my friends, they're on their way here right now." Victoria said to him, a little more confident.

"You mean that Vault dweller, the Ghoul, the mercenary girl, that guy with an attitude on his face and the giant dog?" the guard asked.

"That's them. They might not look like much, but we've been doing good so far together." Victoria relaxed a little.

"I hope they come through. I really don't want to be a Super Mutant's next meal or become them..." the guard sighed.

"Hey! Humans! Shut up or I kill you!" one of the Super Mutants at the door entrance yelled at them.

"I think for now, we should keep quiet and wait for my friends. Don't want to provoke them into harming us." Victoria sighed and leaned against her cage.

()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()

Cavall sniffed another set of tracks and howled to the air. The other four Wanderers came in and started following him again, the footprints were deep in the dirt and in a tight group.

"How did those monsters get ahead of us?!" Doug asked with a pant.

"Super Mutants might be big, but they can move when they want to..." Joe said to him.

"We have to be close. Super Mutants like to make old towns and factories their home. So we'll probably come up to one of those soon." Chloe said with her plasma rifle ready.

"Just keep running, guys! According to my map there an old town up ahead! That's where they have to be!" Louis pointed in the direction his Pip-Boy was showing.

The group pressed on, determined to find Victoria and the other people that were taken.

()()()()()()()()()()()()

Inside the forge room, the strange Super Mutant finished another piece of metalwork. From the look of it, the item seemed to be a small blade with a leather wrapped hilt. The Super Mutant placed the blade on a shelf nearby and was about to start another project as the Brute with the missing eye came in.

"Hey! Overlord wants you to go upstairs!" the Brute shouted lightly at him.

The strange Super Mutant turned to him in confusion. "What Overlord want with me?" it dumb down its speech. "And what happened to your eye?"

"Just go upstairs! We captured humans! Lots of them! And Overlord want you to take shift! We can hear you pounding metal all day! Overlord tired of hearing it!" the Brute shouted before turning away.

"They captured Humans?" the Super Mutant said to itself. "Of course, the factory settlement! The Overlord had talked about it for sometime, but I never thought the Overlord would send Super Mutants to attack. This is really bad, they will either be eaten or turned into Super Mutants. I need to do something."

The Super Mutant walked up the stairs and down the hall to the room where the prisoners were. There was no other Super Mutants stationed at the time. The people in the cages looked up to the Super Mutant but didn't say anything to not provoke it. But the Super Mutant waited several minutes to make sure no other of its kin came to join in guarding the prisoners. It kept looking back at the prisoners before noticing Victoria and her incredibly red hair and raised a brow in intrigue.

"Is there something you want to say?!" Victoria snapped. "I know, my hair is red like blood! Your leader likes it very much."

The Super Mutant was taken aback at her boldness. "Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to stare. But it's true, I have never seen hair so red." it chuckled nervously.

Victoria frowned in confusion. Was the Super Mutant playing with her? "You seem...different from the others. Or are you just screwing with us?"

The odd Super Mutant looked to the entrance one more time to make sure it was clear. "You're right. I'm not like the others. I don't want to hurt people like they do. It's just...wrong, how much they enjoy killing people..."

"Don't listen to that monster! It's a Super Mutant! A freak of nature, all they do is kill people or turn them into Super Mutants! It will bite your head off for fun!" one of the prisoners called to her.

"If it was gonna do anything, then it would have done something." Victoria said to the prisoner as she got up and walked to the front of the cage door. "Right? Do you really not want to hurt anyone?"

The Super Mutant walked over to her cage and stood there for a few seconds. "No. No I don't..."

"Then that means you're one of those unusual kinds I've heard of. You're not like the rest of them, so why are you with these kinds of Super Mutants?" Victoria asked it.

"I...have nowhere else to go. I am a Super Mutant after all. I can only be with my kind or get killed in the Wasteland. It's the only choices I have." the Super Mutant sighed. "But I can't allow this. I won't let you people be eaten or turned into Super Mutants. I'll get you out." it started to reach for the lock and chain.

"Don't! If the others see you doing this, they will kill you." Victoria quickly stopped it. "Just wait, my friends are coming to help us, I know they will."

"How many are there?" the Super Mutant asked.

"Five, not including me." Victoria answered.

"That's a lot of faith to put into a few people. And there are at least thirty of us." the Super Mutant frowned with worry.

"A few people and a large dog." Victoria chuckled. "So for now, let's just wait and see what they do. If I know them well enough, they will cause a lot of problems for the Super Mutants here."

()()()()()()()()()()()()()

The Wanderers finally spotted the town and took cover behind its old sign. The words had long faded, making its name lost to time. They spotted two Super Mutants standing guard nearby the street that lead into the town.

"Shit. Since when are they smart enough to do guard duty?" Joe frowned at the abominations.

"If we can't get passed them, then we're gonna have to go around the long way." Doug whispered to them.

"Hold on, I think I got a crazy plan..." Louis held his hand up to make them stay and headed off.

The Vault dweller went around the Super Mutants while staying low until he got a few feet from them and hid behind some junk and waited for them to talk.

"Bah! I hate guard duty! Guard duty so stupid!" one of them groaned.

Louis grinned and changed his voice. "Not as stupid as your face!" he made himself sound like a Super Mutant as best he could near the other one.

"Hey! Don't call me stupid! You stupid idiot!" the one complaining turned and shouted.

"I didn't say anything! Your ears are stupid!" the other shouted and glared.

"Yes you did! You lie! Your brain stupid!" the two Super Mutants lunged after each other and started fighting.

They began throwing their fists, landing heavy blows that would have injured a person with ease. The two then dragged themselves to the ground while fighting, giving the wanderers a chance to move without the abominations seeing them. Soon they came up to the main street of the town and spotted the mayor office with three Super Mutants patrolling the front.

"Now what? A frontal assault will get us killed." Chloe asked with her plasma rifle ready.

"There's only a few of them. We have to drag out the rest of them to get inside to free Victoria and the others..." Louis began to assemble the C4 and arm the detonator. "Doug, you want the honors?"

"Uh, do I want to use some of the most powerful explosives besides nuclear? Fuck yeah!" Doug smiled and took the trigger.

"I assume you're gonna use those explosives to draw the others out?" Joe asked as he was given one.

"Something like that." Louis smiled with the last of the C4 armed.

Everyone took a C4 pack and spread out with Cavall following the Vault dweller. They stayed low and out of sight and got close to the steps of the office and hid behind some junked cars. Each of them peeked over to make sure it was clear before tossing the C4 packs over. The blocks of plastic explosives landed where the Super Mutants were patrolling.

"What that?!" one of the Super Mutants looked down at the C4.

"This..." Doug answered to himself and squeezed the trigger.

The C4 went off, the Super Mutants were blown apart with ease, not even they could survive a direct explosion. Their body chunks hit the ground, which was charred black from the explosion. The Wanderers needed to move fast, the Super Mutants inside most likely heard the explosion and would come to see what was the cause.

()()()()()()()()()

Back inside the cage room, everyone felt the building shake slightly and looked around in confusion. "What was that?" the strange Super Mutant asked.

"If I had a guess, that would be my friends. Although I have no idea where they got such powerful explosives!" Victoria said to it. "I hope they don't bring the whole building down on us..."

"I'm more concerned about the Overlord finding them, you have no idea how brutal that monster can be." the Super Mutant said with concern.

()()()()()()()()

The Wanderers began to spread out near the entrance of the old mayor office, Doug reached the side of the entrance as a Super Mutant stepped out and raising hell about the explosion. The Wastelander quickly raised his sawed-off and aimed inches away from the Super Mutant's head and fired. Chunks of its head went flying as the body landed hard on the elevated stairs, but soon they saw another Super Mutant with a spiked metal club come running out.

"What all that noise?!" it shouted as two of the mutant hounds came running out behind it.

One of the mutant hounds sniffed the air and turned to see Doug standing near the entrance. It growled and charged for him as he started to reload, but the hound leaped with its mouth wide open. Cavall barked viciously and managed to knock the mutant hound out of the air before it could hurt Doug.

The Super Mutant turned to attack with its club as Louis charged in with his machete ready. He raised the blade up and hacked it right into the back of the yellowish green monster's skull. The blade split the top of the Super Mutant's head with ease, down to the nose as it twitched and slowly fell to the ground.

Cavall and the mutant hound circled each other, both growling with canine fury. The mutant hound barked at Cavall as the large hybrid bared his teeth. The dogs then lunged, the mutant hound snapped at Cavall a few times before he dodged and circled around. The large dog sank his teeth into the mutant hound's shoulder, the mutated beast howled in pain as Cavall let go before it could bite into his side. Cavall then went in for the kill and bit down on the hound's neck, blood spilling heavily onto the ground. The mutant hound struggled and tried to get away, but it made the bite wound worse and ripped it open even more. The mutant hound finally collapsed from blood loss as Cavall bit in deeper just for extra measure. Cavall finally let go, his entire jaw was covered in blood.

The other mutant hound was about to after the group, but a few shells from Joe's combat shotgun put it down. Four more Super Mutants charged out from the building, this time they were armed with assault rifles.

"Stupid humans! We kill you good!" one of them shouted before firing.

The Wanderers took cover behind the old cars as the Super Mutants kept the heat on them. The lumbering abominations screamed and yelled with rage and ready to tear them apart until they finally ran out of ammo. As the Super Mutants were changing the clips, Louis armed another pack of C4 and tossed it over. The explosive landed a few feet from them as Doug happily squeezed the detonator trigger again. The C4 sent the Super Mutants falling to the ground from the explosion, they were alive but barely and crawled on the ground in agony.

They soon came out from their cover and ended the four Super Mutants with some shots and the blade of a machete and fire axe. But their victory was short lived as more then twenty of the Super Mutants came pouring out from the door, all of them holding various weapons. The Brute that Louis shot pushed pass all the other Super Mutants, a bandage was wrapped around the side of its head over the eye.

"You Humans stupid to come here! We eat you! We eat you all! Bones and all!" the Brute shouted.

"Oh yeah, well eat my bone! You ugly shit stains!" Louis yelled while poking his head up.

"Louis, keep your head down! That Super Mutant might recognize you!" Doug warned him.

"Come on, Doug, these things are as dumb as bricks. I doubt it would remember me." Louis shrugged.

The Brute's good eye twitched with rage. "You! You the human that shot me in the eye! I rip you limb from limb and stomp on your corpse!"

Louis palmed his face and sighed. "Are you fucking kidding me?!"

The Super Mutants aimed their guns as the Brute called out the order. "Kill them! Kill them all!"

Once again the five were pinned down by gunfire, and all the Super Mutants were carrying a lot of ammo to keep the fight going. The Brute carried a laser rifle with rapid fire, it clearly had it out for Louis since it was aiming where he was.

"So, anybody got any ideas?" Joe asked them from their cover.

"Not dying is still in play..." Chloe said to him.

"Maybe I can use my V.A.T.S. system to take them down. With my Desert Eagle, it can punch a hole right into their heads." Louis took out the magnum.

"Don't even think about it! There's no way your V.A.T.S. will last that long to take them all down!" Doug quickly stopped him. "And there's way too many bullets flying."

"I think I have a plan." Chloe pulled out four of the grenades they took and tied them together with a cord. "We just need to get into that building. We'll make it seem like we ran away after these go off."

"Nothing else is coming to mind! Roll the dice, Chloe." Louis nodded to her.

Chloe pulled the pins and tossed it over from their cover. The grenades landed near the Super Mutants, they quickly backed away just as the grenades went off. With the abominations distracted, the group ran from their hiding spot and to the side of the building where they spotted a window that was busted and not bordered up. They jumped into the opening and began searching the inside for Victoria.

()()()()()()()()()

Victoria and the Super Mutant soon realized that the gunfire had stopped after the latest explosion, which made them worry. The Super Mutant grabbed the chain and lock of Victoria's cage and broke it off. "There's no more time! You people need to get out now." it then started breaking the locks of the other cages.

"But if that Overlord finds out you're doing this, it will kill you." Victoria said as she stepped out.

The Super Mutant sighed while breaking off the last lock. "Then so be it. I can die with more dignity then any other Super Mutant has."

"In that case, you're coming with us. You helped free us, so now I'm setting you free from this awful place." Victoria smiled a little at it.

"Hey, if we're leaving, it better be now!" the settlement guard said to them.

Victoria and the Super Mutant quickly walked out and went down the hall as the settlement guards went off in another direction. "Are you not coming with us?" one of them asked her.

"I can't. I need to help my friends and get my weapons back. You people just get out while you still can!" Victoria waved for them to go.

The settlement guards ran off as Victoria headed off with the Super Mutant following her. She rounded the corner and into a new hallway section. The redhead suddenly stopped in her tracks when she spotted her friends that came into the hall.

"Victoria!" Louis called out to her.

"Guys! I knew you would come for me!" Victoria smiled as Cavall ran up to her. She petted him in return.

"We're so glad you're okay! We feared the worse!" Louis walked up to her. "How did you even get out?"

"I...had a little help..." Victoria said as the Super Mutant came around the corner.

The group looked to the Super Mutant and aimed their weapons at it. "Victoria, move!" Doug said to her.

Victoria quickly got in their way. "Hold on! This Super Mutant is different. The guy even helped me and the other prisoners get free!"

They slowly lowered their weapons but still kept them pointed. "Victoria, what makes you so sure we can trust it?" Louis asked her.

"I know, but this Super Mutant isn't like the rest. The guy doesn't want to be with the others, and we should at least help until we get out of here and away from this place. I owe the guy that much." Victoria turned her head to the nervous Super Mutant.

Louis sighed while putting his gun away. "Alright. I trust you, Victoria. Now let's just get out of here."

"None of you humans are going anywhere!" the Overlord shouted.

The Super Mutant turned to see the Overlord standing behind it as the Overlord raised its fist and punched the Super Mutant dead center in the chest. The unusual Super Mutant slammed into the wall and almost went through before sliding to the floor. The wanderers were about to shoot the Overlord, but they heard heavy footsteps coming up from behind and saw the rest of the remaining Super Mutants, all pointing their weapons at them and itching to shoot.

The Overlord grabbed the other Super Mutant by the neck and lifted it up. "Traitor! You help humans! We kill human lovers!" it tossed the mutant back to the floor and turned to the Wanderers. "And as for you! All of you will pay! You let our prisoners go! You will not leave this place alive! Or even better...you will become more of us!" the Overlord growled with a deep grin.


	13. MUTATION OF RAGE

**CHAPTER 13: MUTATION OF RAGE.**

" _Rage only works if it is justified. That's the trick with rage. You gotta have a reason to be mad." -Sam Kinison._

The six wanderers were captured. The Overlord and the Super Mutants forced the group down the halls of the old mayor office, each one of them had their arms tied behind their backs with a Super Mutant holding them, Cavall had a crude muzzle over his face and a thick rope tied around his neck. Their situation was bad, probably the worse they've been in so far, the strange Super Mutant was also being dragged harshly by two of its brethren.

"Where are you taking us?" Louis asked to break the silence.

"Shut up, Human! Or I crush your head!" the Overlord shouted.

"Just let them go! I'm the one that betrayed you!" the strange Super Mutant spoke.

The Overlord turned and punched the Super Mutant in the gut. "Quiet! I deal with you later!" it shouted before looking to the Wanderers. "And you all, you're too much trouble! All of you will die here!"

"First you say you're gonna kill us, then say you're gonna turn us into Super Mutants, and now you're gonna kill us again! Make up your mind!" Doug frowned at the Overlord.

The Overlord looked to him. "I have made up my mind! You all will die, but your blood hair friend will become one of us."

"Like I said before, not a chance! I'll die with my friends!" Victoria spat at it.

The Overlord grinned at her. "I'm not giving you a choice. Now let's go! They are waiting to eat..."

"I really don't like the sound of that..." Joe gulped in terror.

"No shit." Chloe looked to him.

The group was soon herded into a large room with the second floor above ripped open. At the center of the room was a pit that was actually the basement below, and in the pit was four Centaurs. The failed Super Mutant attempts crawled around on the dirty floor below, their gurgling and other disgusting noises made the group cringe in disgust.

"This the Centaur pit! This is were we throw our troublemakers!" the Overlord announced as if it was talking to a crowd. "And we haven't fed them in a few days! So you all will make good meals!" it said before grabbing Victoria and pulled her over. "And you will watch! Watch as they all die!"

"Rot in hell you monster! We won't let you get away with this!" Victoria struggled against its hold.

The Overlord squeezed her arm tighter. "You will become one of us! And you will watch your friends die!" it shouted and looked to the group. "Now throw them in! We'll eat their dog later!"

The Super Mutants holding the wanderers untied their ropes and pushed them into the pit. They managed to land on their feet safely, but the Centaurs in the pit were quick to notice them and started crawling after them.

"Spread out! Find anything that could be used as a weapon!" Louis shouted while grabbing a piece of concrete on the floor.

The rest followed his instructions, each of them looking for anything that could be a weapon. The Super Mutants above laughed at their struggle, the yellowish green beasts always enjoyed watching the Centaurs tear their victims apart. Some of the Super Mutants forced Cavall into a large cage. The hybrid tried to get out, but the cage was too sturdy and confined for him.

The strange Super Mutant tried to pull away from the ones holding it. The Overlord shoved Victoria into the grip of another Super Mutant and marched over to the strange forger and grabbed the top of its head. "You remember this, human lover! Watch your Human friends die! They die because of you! You should have just kept pounding hot metal! You're weak! You have always been weak! The future belongs to Super Mutants! And we don't want any weaklings in it! Humans are inferior!"

The captive Super Mutant looked up to its Overlord and frowned. "Have you forgotten?! We were all humans once! Everyone of us! We are mistakes of nature! Just byproducts of an experiment from before the war!"

The Overlord screamed and punched it right in the face, blood started to drip from above its brow. "Silence! We are no longer weaklings! We are Super Mutants! Nothing is stronger than any of us!" it started pounding the Super Mutant all over, each heavy blow inflicting painful cuts and bruises.

Victoria screamed for the Overlord to stop, but the Super Mutants just laughed as they watched their leader beat the defenseless Super Mutant. The Overlord finally had its fill and stopped, the forger hung its head limp with more blood dripping from many cuts. The Overlord scoffed in satisfaction and walked back to where Victoria was. In the Centaur pit, Louis kept tossing chunks of concrete at the Centaur that was coming after him while Joe found an old pipe and bash as best he could at the Centaur attacking him. Doug ripped off a piece of rebar in the wall while Chloe just used her fists, hoping her metal bones could do some damage.

The strange Super Mutant's head and upper body cried with pain, everything in the room spun around before its vision started to go black. And that's when it all came back, something that the Super Mutant hadn't remembered in a long time. Its earliest memories was pain, horrible pain like electricity tearing across its body. It remembered being in a cylinder chamber filled with FEV and covered in medical electrodes. It remembered more agonizing pain, a strange and unfamiliar facility that seemed to be from before the war. It remembered countless of painful tests and several people in white lab coats, and one man that was always looking at it. All that memory and pain reminded it of the one constant thing the Super Mutant felt during those countless and hazy days, absolute rage.

The Super Mutant woke back up, its dark green eyes slowly lit up into a faint glow of green. Its fists clenched tightly and its already powerful muscles seemed to almost double in size. It then threw its head back and let out a rage filled scream that seemed to make the walls shake and everyone in the room go silent. Before either of the Super Mutants holding the odd one could do anything, it pulled out of their grips and punched the one on the left, crushing its face in. The enraged Super Mutant then turned and grabbed the neck of the other and crushed it with ease. All the Super Mutants stepped back in terror as it yelled again, but this time something even stranger happened. All the veins of the Super Mutant's body started to glow green like radiation, it was bright like a Glowing One and it only seemed to increase its strength.

Louis heard his Pip-Boy ticking and looked at the radiation meter. "What the fuck?..." he said in surprise before the Centaur wrapped its three tongues around his arm. "Oh, shit! I forgot about this freak!" he started whacking it with the piece of concrete he held. But it barely seemed bothered by the attack.

The glowing Super Mutant charged, it pummeled every other Super Mutant that tried to stop it with such terrifying force. The glowing brawler broke bones like they were twigs, tore through flesh like paper, and smashed in faces like rotted pumpkins. It then grabbed the Super Mutant carrying everyone's weapons and snapped its neck before tossing it into the pit. The group saw the dead Super Mutant fall in and went for their weapons without hesitation.

Doug pulled out his sawed-off and turned to fire two shells at once into the head of the Centaur coming after him. Chloe grabbed her plasma rifle and unloaded into the monster before switching to the flamethrower attachment for extra measure. Joe cocked his combat shotgun and shot the Centaur that was chasing him to pieces. Louis still had his arm wrapped by the three tongues of the Centaur as it pulled him in closer. Doug cocked Louis' pump shotgun and tossed it to the Vault dweller, he caught it with his free hand and pointed the end of the barrel right at the Centaur's face and blew it clean off.

"Oh, god! It's all gross and slimy! I think I'm gonna puke!" Louis cried out and leaned forward to dry heave in disgust.

"What the hell is with that Super Mutant?" Doug asked as they watched the bright Super Mutant beat its kind to death. "I've never heard of a Super Mutant that can glow!"

"That's because there is no such thing! I've been around for over two hundred years and never heard of one!" Joe said, thinking he had seen it all.

"I don't care what's going on as long as we can survive. And speaking of surviving, we have another problem!" Chloe pointed to the dark corner of the room.

From that dark corner, another Centaur came crawling out, and it was almost twice as big and had two heads. The abomination spat two globs of acid at them, they managed to dodge the acid saliva. The saliva hit the ground and started to burn right through the concrete.

"Okay, new problem! Avoid the acid spit!" Louis yelped in fear before pumping a few shells at the two headed Centaur.

Four Super Mutants leaped onto the rage filled Super Mutant to wrestle it to the ground, but it simply threw them off and grabbed one by the sides of its head. The Super Mutant screamed while crushing its captive's head with ease. The last mutant hound charged and leaped at it, but the Super Mutant was quick and grabbed the hound and killed it by snapping its jaw open and tossed it aside. The Brute tried to stop the glowing brawler, but it was easily struck aside and fell over into the pit. The Brute hit the floor hard and slowly staggered back up. But as it stood, Louis pointed his Desert Eagle at its head.

"Allow me to finish the job..." Louis grinned widely to finish the job of making both its eyes match.

As soon as the Brute started to turn, the Vault dweller unloaded more than half the clip into its head. Chunks of blood and brains flew as the one eyed Brute's body collapsed to the ground. The group then focused on the two headed Centaur, their bullets made quick work of it by shooting at it from all sides until it collapsed to the floor in a bloody mess.

The glowing Super Mutant was about to finish off the last of its kin, some tried shooting at it, but the bullets barely dug in and each wound only seemed to heal up. The Overlord shoved Victoria to the floor and picked up its precious sledgehammer from the floor nearby. The rampaging Super Mutant slammed the last of its brethren into the wall and crushed the back of its skull with ease before turning to its Overlord just as it came charging in with its sledgehammer. The glowing Super Mutant dodged in time, the blow from the Overlord almost smashed the wall in. The Overlord turned and started taking wild and erratic swings at the strange Super Mutant.

Louis, Doug, Joe, and Chloe managed to climb out of the pit by hoisting each other up then pulling the other two out. Louis quickly dashed to the cage and broke Cavall out and took off the muzzle. The giant dog barked happily and leaped up to lick his face. The Vault dweller petted the heavy dog in return and eased him down to go over and help Victoria up and untie her tight ropes.

"This day has been nothing but hell..." Victoria said as she rubbed her wrists to relieve the pain.

"Then consider our glowing Super Mutant friend a gift from above." Louis said as they watched the bloodbath. "And we should stay back as far as we can. That one is giving off a lot of radiation right now."

"I'm good where I am..." Joe spoke while lighting a cigarette.

The Overlord swung again, but the glowing Super Mutant blocked with its arm and managed to pull the sledgehammer away and toss it aside. After that, the two started brawling, fists flying and landing hard, the glowing Super Mutant's strength was increased immensely, but the Overlord types were the second strongest compared to Behemoths. The Overlord grabbed the glowing Super Mutant by the throat and shoved it into the wall, making it cave in a little before throwing its fist into its face. The glowing Super Mutant blocked the next punch and shoved the Overlord away and landed a few hits to its chest and head. The two were then in a deadlock, their fingers crossed together and side by side from their heads.

"You kill your kind! You kill them for Humans! I only one that let you join us! You're nothing without us! You barely a Super Mutant! A glowing coward!" The Overlord shouted as its grip got tighter, the hatred in their faces burning deeply.

The glowing Super Mutant's eye's went brighter from anger, its grip on the Overlord's hands tightened to the point where it broke the knuckles between each finger. The Overlord cried out in pain from its hands being crushed as the glowing brawler tackled the Overlord to the floor.

"I'm better off without you!" the Super Mutant screamed and punched the Overlord in the face. "I'm not a coward just because I don't want to be like the rest of you!" it pound the Overlord in the face again, stunning it. "I won't be pushed around by you anymore! And you will never hurt another person again!" it started pounding away even harder.

The glowing Super Mutant pummeled the Overlord's head in, each blow crushing it more and more. The Overlord twitched from each hit until finally going limp, but the Super Mutant just kept punching until it was pounding the floor that was covered in chunks of flesh, brains, and blood. The Super Mutant raised both its fists in the air and brought them down on what was left of Overlord's head and chest with a powerfully loud slam. The Super Mutant turned its head up and screamed to the air, its rage slowly fading and its glowing veins started to dim like the sun going down, its body covered in sprays of blood.

Victoria wanted to go over to the Super Mutant, but Louis stopped her because his Pip-Boy was still displaying dangerous levels of radiation, and they felt the Super Mutant need its space. The Super Mutant then stood up and took deep and heavy breaths, the glowing veins finally returned to normal and the radiation readings were finally gone.

The room was like something out of a horror movie. The floors and walls were covered in blood and gore, the blood seeped deeply into the floor and even slowly dripped into the pit at the center. Every Super Mutant that still had its face were contorted in terror from the bloody rampage from one of their own. Deep down, despite being so different from the rest, the surviving Super Mutant couldn't help but feel a little regretful of its fatal actions.

"Are you people okay?" the Super Mutant finally asked the group after a few long minutes.

"We...we're fine. Thanks to you..." Victoria answered while walking towards it.

Joe pulled out a crooked cigarette and lit it up. "Well, we were thrown into a pit filled with monsters. But yeah, we're okay..." he muttered to himself and took a long inhale.

"I just can't believe you were able to kill all the others by yourself. How did you even make yourself glow like that?" Doug asked next, the smell of blood hitting his nose hard.

"And give off dangerous levels of radiation!" Louis waved his Pip-Boy a little and pointed at the screen. "I've heard of abnormal Super Mutants, but this is completely new! Are there any others like you?"

The Super Mutant looked down at its blood covered fists. The memories of the strange facility were still blurry in its mind. "It was...more than thirty years ago if I've counted the days right. Almost everyone knows how Super Mutants are made, but me, I wasn't made with other Super Mutants. I remember...a strange lab in a facility. Maybe from before the war. The first thing I remember was pain. Like my body being ripped to pieces and electrocuted. I also remember a chamber with gas, most likely FEV. I even recall humans in lab coats, running all kinds of tests on me. The tests felt like they lasted for eons until one day I managed to break free. I ran and ran until I was outside for the first time and saw the sunlight. I wandered the Wasteland for a few years. I was like an infant, I didn't know how to talk well, I didn't know how to fight, and I didn't understand why humans shot at me or ran whenever they saw me. And then I was soon found by that Overlord and brought in."

"You seem well spoken now. Which is rare for a Super Mutant." Chloe commented about its refined speech.

"After awhile when I was found, the first place we lived was an old library. I found an old terminal computer filled with learning videos and even holotapes with different categories. I learned how to read and talk, even basic math and some videos on how to write and count." the Super Mutant smiled a little before frowning. "Then one day they found it while I wasn't around and used it as target practice..."

"The Overlord said you pounded hot metal? What's that about?" Doug decided to ask next.

"Some years back, the Overlord and some of the others attacked a settlement and brought back a man that was a blacksmith as he said. The Overlord made him fix and make weapons, and I was assigned to guard him. And during those two years he was kept, he taught me a lot about metalwork. I grew to like forging metal and learned as much as I could. The Overlord decided he outlived his use and was going to kill him, but I managed to help him escape before anyone found out. I managed to convince the Overlord to let me take over the metalwork so they wouldn't go after him." the Super Mutant informed.

"So you're a good Super Mutant, and you're a blacksmith. What a crazy world filled with endless events..." Joe chuckled.

"Since that day, I tried to help as many Humans as I could. Like scaring off those that accidently wandered into our area or those that were captured." the Super Mutant then sighed. "But I couldn't save everyone, some were killed on the spot or killed while captured. It was always horrible."

"But you still tried to help others. That's what matters." Victoria said to him. "Have you ever done that before with the glowing?"

"About a year after I was taken in by the Overlord, a small pack of five Deathclaws attacked us during a small hunting trip. I was gashed across the chest by one." the Super Mutant lifted its chest armor at the pecs and showed a faded claw mark scar. "That's when I had the glow from anger. It was all a blur, and when I calmed down, the Deathclaws were ripped to pieces. And the Overlord saw everything and told me about it. I guess that's why the Overlord always kept me from most fights and raids. It must have figured I would try to take over."

"I bet the Overlord did." Louis nodded in agreement. "How interesting. People experimenting on Super Mutants. The Wasteland is full of surprises." he pondered to himself for a moment. "But what will you do now?"

The Super Mutant looked to the floor. "I don't know. I'm not like other Super Mutants, and I can't live with Humans either. I guess I don't belong anywhere."

Victoria frowned a little and made up her mind to ask them. "Guys...I know it sounds crazy, but maybe...we should let this Super Mutant come with us."

Everyone looked to her in surprise. "Victoria...that's a bit of a risk..." Doug said to her.

"I know it is. But we can't just leave the guy alone. I think it deserves to come with us on our journey." Victoria firmly stood by her suggestion to have the Super Mutant come along.

Louis thought it over for a moment and sighed. "Alright, we'll make it work somehow." he walked up to the Super Mutant and looked it in the face. "But first, if you're coming with us, we need to stop calling you an 'it'. Identifying as an 'it' all the time can be a tad hard and annoying. Would you like to go by a 'he'...or a 'she'?"

"Please, not the second one..." Joe said to himself.

The Super Mutant thought it over. "I do believe I was a man before becoming a Super Mutant. It just feels right, more or less. So I guess I can identify as that if you want."

"Good! And I guess you don't have a name, I didn't hear any of you call each other by name." Louis said next.

"No. All Super Mutants never really have names." the Super Mutant frowned sadly.

"In that case, I might have some ideas." Louis gave a deep smile. "I used to read a lot of books on mythology back in my Vault. And I once read a book on Norse mythology about a person known as Wayland the Smith. And since you like to forge with metal, I can't think of a more appropriate name for you. So what do you think? Does Wayland sound okay to you?"

The Super Mutant thought it over before slowly pronouncing the word. "Way...land? Wayland? Wayland! I like it!" he cheered and scooped the Vault dweller in a powerful hug.

Cavall barked excitingly and ran in a circle.

"Okay, he's a hugger!" Louis chuckled with a wheeze. "And you're still covered in blood. And brains. And gore..."

The Super Mutant now named as Wayland put him down. "Sorry about that..."

"So now that Wayland has a name. The next thing to get him is some weapons. But I don't think that settlement is in the mood to sell any weapons..." Doug spoke to them.

"And it's getting late. We shouldn't go back at this time." Chloe pointed out.

"Not to worry. The Overlord kept the best weapons in the back of the armory. It was the Overlord's personal stash." Wayland said and looked to Victoria. "Your weapons should be inside too."

"Good, I miss my bow." Victoria couldn't wait to regain her stuff.

The group of seven went to the south end of the building and took a detour to the old bathroom so Wayland could clean off his bloody body. After that they came up to a metal door that was installed into the room that was once a conference room. They broke the lock of the metal door off and went in. The room was filled with many weapons, both from what the Super Mutants salvaged and unfortunately stole from their victims. Victoria easily found her lost weapons and gathered them up. The rest started to look around the place with gusto, gathering as many of the ammo they needed, along with the guns so they could sell them for caps.

At the far end of the room was a built in chainlink fence with metal supports to hold it in place. Wayland opened the cage up and found what he was looking for as Louis walked up to look inside with curiosity.

"Holy crap. Is that what I think it is?..." the Vault dweller smiled.

"Yes, the Overlord's personal weapons." Wayland picked it up and pulled it out.

Wayland held in his hands a CZ57 Avenger minigun. Six spinning barrels of deadly red hot lead. Connected to the minigun was a feed belt and hydraulic support arm that connected to the ammo box holding thousands of rounds. There was a quad-barrel missile launcher with lock on scope. The final weapon was a sledgehammer that had a spear like tip on top of the head.

The Super Mutant smiled and picked the minigun up and charged it, the barrel rapidly spun to life. It was very tempting to pull the trigger that would allow the gun to fire its thousands of rounds per minute.

"Man...now I'm jealous..." Chloe moaned with a sour face.

"With that firepower, our enemies will think twice before attacking us." Louis came over to look at the weapon. "But I think it needs some tweaking. The barrel kinda made a clattering noise when it spun."

"And I found some canned food over here too!" Doug held them up. "I'll get a fire going."

"Just don't burn the building down!" Joe called to him.

"Go fuck yourself!" Doug called back.

"You sure have an unusual group of friends..." Wayland said to Louis and Victoria.

The Vault dweller just laughed. "You have no idea. So I think you'll fit in well with us."

"He's right. These people have surprised me a lot in the last few weeks since I was freed." Victoria nodded.

Wayland placed the minigun on a nearby table to tinker with it. "Sounds like I won't be bored. But why are you people traveling anyway? Where are you going?"

"That, my friend, is a bit of a long story." Louis answered him and raised his Pip-Boy to explain.


	14. BOUNTY HUNT

**CHAPTER 14: BOUNTY HUNT.**

" _Weapons are like money; no one knows the meaning of enough." -Martin Amis._

"So...you really don't know what's at the end of the signal?" the Super Mutant known as Wayland asked.

"Pretty much." Louis answered while turning the Pip-Boy off. The group sat on chairs around a large barrel with a fire burning in it and a metal grate over it to cook the canned food. The smoke billowed out from an opening in the ceiling. "So you can see why it's a dangerous task to take on. We have no idea where we're going and the Wasteland is full endless danger."

"I still have second thoughts of joining..." Joe grumbled as he finished his can of chunky meat soup.

Chloe tossed her can to the floor and relaxed in her chair. "After we sell off those weapons, do we still need to leave from that settlement?" the former merc asked the Vault dweller.

Louis raised his Pip-Boy and looked at the signal. "Hmm, not by far. It's more or less on our way." he answered with a smile. "We won't lose any time on backtracking."

Doug stretched his arms and got up. "In that case, I'll turn in for the night." he yawned deeply. "Almost getting killed by Super Mutants and other monsters can be exhausting. Oh, no offense, Wayland."

Wayland chuckled nervously. "Uh, it's okay. I know how horrible Super Mutants can be..." he looked down to the floor in shame.

Doug quickly regretted his poor choice of words. "Right...anyway, goodnight, everyone." he waved before leaving.

"You're a gifted speaker, Doug!" Joe called with a mocking laugh.

"Screw off, Joe!" Doug turned to him menacingly.

Louis laughed and leaned back in his seat. "Oh, this adventure across the Wasteland never has a dull moment!" he snickered as Doug and Joe bickered.

Wayland smiled deeply to himself. For the first time in his Super Mutant life, he felt like he finally found the right brethren to be with.

It was past midnight as the group shacked up in the main lobby of the mayor office. Everyone found a short couch to sleep on, even Cavall laid on a couch. The old furniture were scattered around the place, and even some had bullet holes in them from target practice. At the far end of the room, Louis sat near the window and looked out to the darkness with the moon lighting the ground below. He saw some crows picking at the remains of the Super Mutants they blew up from earlier, the birds ripping of chunks of mutated flesh to eat.

Victoria soon woke up for her shift and started walking towards Louis to relieve him of his shift. But as she got close enough, the redhead saw that his eyes were locked in place to the outside. As if he was expecting them to be attacked at any moment, to which it made her a little uncomfortable. For she knew he was always so cheery and mostly level headed. So she slowly reached out to tap his shoulder. "Louis, you okay?"

The Vault dweller suddenly jerked up in his seat and glanced to her. "Victoria! I...I didn't hear you come up to me!"

Victoria retracted her hand from him. "Sorry. I didn't mean to startle you like that." she apologized. "I saw you looking out the window so intensely, I was beginning to worry.

Louis cursed himself for being caught off-guard like that. "Oh, right. I'm still not used to the Wasteland at night. Despite the few months I've been out here, it still leaves me on edge to the point where I can't sleep." he glanced back out the window.

Victoria pulled up an old nearby chair and sat down with him. "Well, just so you know, a lot of people out here also fear the Wasteland at night." she assured him.

"I know..." Louis turned back to her eyes. "But I worry that this journey might be all for nothing. Or worse..." he paused for a long moment. "Everyone could get killed. You, Doug, Joe, Chloe, Cavall, and now Wayland. I'm not worried about my life, but I can't have someone else's life on my conscience."

"Listen, everyone here is doing this of their own free will." Victoria spoke gently to him. "We know crossing the Wasteland can be treacherous. But at least we have the company of each other to watch our backs."

Louis thought over her kind words, but there was still a deeper reason for undertaking the mission he agreed to. "Thank you Victoria. You're not a bad therapist yourself." he complemented to her and stood up with a stretch. "I'll go to sleep now. Have a nice shift."

The Vault dweller laid down on a free couch and quickly drifted off to sleep as soon as his head hit the pillow.

March 16/2296

Morning came a few hours later, the beams of sunlight poured through the dirty windows and everyone soon awoke to start the day. They gathered as much guns and sellable items they could and went back to Smelter's Grove to sell them off. Wayland decided that it was best to wait near the woods with Cavall to keep him company. The people were most likely still on edge from the Super Mutant attack the other day.

Once they returned, the group was practically given a hero's welcome. Every person that was caught made it back alive and unharmed, the people that ran the town even offered the group jobs to stay as the leader of the guards, but they of course kindly declined and said they needed to keep moving. Thankfully they were able to sell off the weapons and items with ease, if not given a little too much since most of them were in rough condition.

They said their final goodbyes to some of the settlers and left. Soon after that, the group found Wayland and Cavall waiting for them. He sat on a large tree stump and was petting Cavall like a child that got a new puppy. The hybrid canine quickly warmed up to the Super Mutant and loved it when Wayland would toss a stick for him to fetch.

"Guys, did you sell everything?" Wayland asked with a wave.

Louis responded with a wave too. "Yep! All but one thing." he held up a good old fashioned AK-47 that he hid behind his back as a surprise.

Wayland eyed the rifle and stood up. "Why didn't you sell that?"

"I figured you should have a backup weapon like this." Louis answered while handing it to him. "That minigun on your back is powerful, but its charge up could leave you vulnerable during a fight. So I figured it was best you use it as a last resort against large amounts of enemies."

"And minigun ammo is hard to come by anyway..." Joe plainly spoke.

Doug held up an ammo pouch to him. "And here's the ammo for the rifle. I even got a pouch for it."

Wayland looked the new weapon over, it seemed like a child's toy in his massive and rough hands. It was amazing he could even place his index finger inside the loop of the gun where the trigger was. The Super Mutant smiled deeply and loaded a clip into the receiver and gave it a quick lookover.

Chloe was still counting over the caps they brought in to make sure they weren't shortchanged. "Everything seems to be here. All forty five hundred." she smiled proudly and gave the bag a jiggle.

"Then our business is done here." Victoria commented before turning to the Vault dweller. "So Louis, what's our heading now?"

The Vault dweller raised his left arm and checked the signal. "East!..." he pointed towards the road. "We should hit another settlement in a few days if we keep the pace."

The group moved on from Smelter's Grove, the people living there could now rest easy knowing that the Super Mutants will never threaten them again. But even more so, the people will likely never know that it was a kindhearted Super Mutant that fully ended the threat. A Super Mutant that turned on his kind and gained new friends that would always have his back against the threats of the Wasteland.

()()()()()()()()

More than half the day passed in the old forgotten town. Despite the Super Mutants being long dead, the place still had the eerie air of their presence. And the smell of decay and blood was still thick to anyone passing by. The quiet town was soon met with the sounds of footsteps. Nine people wandered into the old town, wearing old combat armor painted dark green and brown with worn uniforms. There was five men and four women, and five of them were carrying long gun cases on their backs. Most likely some form of rifles.

The one in the lead was a middle age man with buzz cut hair and thick sunglasses over his eyes. He scanned the area to make sure it was clear before signaling his people to follow. The people reached the mayor's office building and saw the remains of a battle. A few Super Mutant bodies were scattered on the ground, they could easily see that explosions made quick work of these ones. The people spotted hundreds of ammo casings laying on the ground near the entrance, along with evidence of bullet holes at the other end of the street. Indicating that the Super Mutants were shooting at people.

"Interesting..." the man with the sunglasses spoke to himself.

They continued their search inside the building, it wasn't long before they found the room where the Super Mutants were slaughtered thanks to the heavy smell of blood lingering in the air. Once inside the room, the people following the man with sunglasses wretched at the sight, flies buzzed around the mangled corpses with only more to come.

"Oh, my fucking god!" the man one wearing a hat gagged and leaned forward to puke.

"There's no way in hell they could have done this..." a woman with short hair declared.

The man with sunglasses kneeled down over the Super Mutant that was once the Overlord and looked at its crushed head. "Maybe not. But looks can be deceiving." he cooly spoke and stood back up. "Whatever is responsible for this horror show is not our concern. The people we're tracking can't be far."

A man with dark skin crossed his arms. "Do you have a plan to take them on?"

The sunglasses man slowly grinned. "Working on it for the most part." he answered. "If there's one thing about people who travel is they must know where the next settlement or town is. And I for one know of a settlement three days from here and the shortcut to it."

"Ah, I see." a crazed looking man with black hair cackled. "We'll get ahead of them and pick them off! I can't wait!"

"Calm down you fucking psycho!" another woman with tanned skin warned.

"Yes. We're on the path to a big payday my friends." he adjusted his sunglasses. "And just remember one thing. The woman with red hair must not be harmed in any way..."

()()()()()()()()

March 19/2296

Three short days passed as the group of seven ventured on, now in Andes. Nothing much happened since then, not even an animal attack. So the only thing they could do to get rid of the boredom was have some casual conversations to pass the time.

"And that's how I got this burn scar on my left elbow..." Wayland pointed to the faded burn.

"That's very interesting, Wayland." Joe said uninterested. "And so was the last one, and the last one, and the one before..."

Doug turned his head to him with a frown. "Geez, Joe, what's up your ass now?"

"He's just cranky because he hasn't had a smoke in a few days." Chloe informed him.

"Well, I'm proud of him for not smoking as much. It's very bad for your health." Victoria gave him a thumbs up. "Keep it up Joe." the Ghoul turned his head from her with a grumble, too bashful to take the compliment.

Louis didn't pay their conversations much mind. For the past few days, he was deep in thought. From what he remembered of the information from the probes, Super Mutants with yellowish green skin came from Vault 87 in D.C., the Capital Wasteland. And ever since the events of Project Purity, the Super Mutant hordes began to spread out from that location. The data from the probes showed that their numbers seemed to be slowly increasing in various locations in the last two decades or so since that history making event. The Vault dweller glanced to Wayland and thought about what he said. The light green being said he had been a Super Mutant for almost twenty years, yet only slightly resembled the green Super Mutants of Boston. And that didn't include the part where he said he was made in a lab that might have been from before the Great War. In other words, something wasn't adding up with his origins. And the glowing he gave off only added more to the mystery.

"Yo! Louis! You awake in there?!" Doug tapped his shoulder roughly. He had been trying to get his attention for the past minute.

The Vault dweller finally snapped back to reality and turned to him. "Doug? Sorry about that! I was...deep in thought..." he laughed nervously.

Doug gave him a suspicious frown. "Just stay on your toes. Saving your ass is exhausting." he knew something else was going on with the Vault dweller.

Victoria placed her hand above her brow and looked around. Her eyes soon spotted a new settlement just ahead. "Look over there! I see a town!" she alerted them.

The rest turned to her and saw it. "Good eye, Victoria!" Louis praised and pulled out his binoculars to get a better view for a moment. "Let's splurge on some supplies with the caps we got."

Wayland gently tapped Louis on the shoulder to get his attention. "Do you want me to wait outside the town until you guys are done?"

Louis tilted his head in confusion. "What? Of course not! You can come in too."

"I don't mean to be a drag..." Doug began to say.

"That would be a first." Joe snorted.

"Anyway..." Doug gritted his teeth at the Ghoul before continuing. "The town might not welcome a Super Mutant with open arms. We need to be careful."

"As long as we stay close to him it shouldn't be a problem." Chloe looked to the Super Mutant. "Wayland is apart of the group now, we don't leave team members on the sidelines." she smiled up to him.

Wayland would blush if he could from her kind words. The Super Mutant chuckled bashfully with a smile and rubbed the back of his head. Cavall happily barked as if he was agreeing with the Synth woman.

Soon they stood at the entrance of Lockmaw and surrounded the front and sides of Wayland in hopes that it will show people the Super Mutant is with them. The group quickly entered, the place was alive with activity. The amount of residents living in the makeshift town ranged over two hundred with many traders coming in and out. The seven wanderers gently pushed through the crowded street made of dirt and bits of garbage. It didn't take long for people to notice them, although that clearly couldn't be helped. Everyone they passed turned their heads or staggered back from seeing the Super Mutant up close.

Wayland slowly looked around, being surrounded by so many people made him a little nervous. He remembered trying to reach out to people before when he wandered aimlessly, and they always ran away screaming or shot at him, usually both. He looked to a stand selling clothes, the vendor gasped in terror and hid under it. Another woman with her child picked the girl up and quickly dashed off as the child waved to him from her mother's shoulder.

Louis picked up on Wayland's worries and turned around to him. "Hey, don't concern yourself. It will take you time to get used to people." he assured the green mutant. "People look at me too because I'm a Vault dweller."

"Really?" Wayland asked.

"That, and he's just weird in general..." Doug interjected.

"Which reminds me, we need to find a map for the area before we leave this town." Louis raised his finger up as a reminder.

Several meters away from them, the wanderers were being followed by a man with a long gun case strapped to his back. It was one of the people following the man with sunglasses. The bounty hunter had a little sweat on his brow from worry, he didn't expect to see another woman and Super Mutant following them. So he quickly turned and walked off quickly to report to his boss.

()()()()()()()()()()()

The bounty hunter with sunglasses and the rest of his crew sat at tables in a shaded area near a building that was an open bar. The leader of the group took a long drink of whiskey, the thought of the coming bounty excited him to no end. The bounty hunter that was following the group quickly ran up to his boss hastily, kicking up a dirt cloud in his trail.

"You seem to have something to report..." the man with sunglasses spoke without looking at him.

"Yeah! You're not going to believe it, boss!" the bounty hunter panted a little. "I found the redhead and the three guys traveling with her, but get this! They have another woman with them, a merc from the looks of it! And even worse, a Super Mutant with a goddamn minigun!"

The rest of the bounty hunters looked to each other with concern, dealing with another person is one thing to them, but a Super Mutant never goes down easy.

The bounty hunter with sunglasses frowned deeply, this complicated things. "Hmm. I admit this will make it a tad harder. Is there anything else they said?"

"The Vault dweller said they needed a map of the area if that helps." he answered.

The sunglasses man smiled as a plan started to form. "Excellent! That can work in our favor." he looked to the dark skin bounty hunter. "Come with me. I'll need your assistance..."

()()()()()()()()()()

An hour passed in the market area. The group browsed the stands for anything they could use before heading out. Victoria was looking over some arrows while Joe checked a stand selling canned food, Doug was arguing with a merchant selling overpriced shotgun shells, and Chloe treated Wayland to meat on a stick at a stand with a grill. The young mercenary was starting to regret it because he was on his fifteenth skewer and still hungry. Louis searched the stands for ones selling maps of the area with Cavall following him.

He then passed a small building store as a middle age man stepped out from the opening and waved to him. "Excuse me, young man! You wouldn't by chance be looking for maps, would you?"

Louis stopped and turned to the man with a surprised look. "Huh? Yeah, I actually am in need of a map..."

"Good to hear! Come on in, I got maps for everything!" the store owner smiled to him.

Louis and Cavall stepped into the dim room and towards the counter where the owner placed several maps on top. The old maps were faded and crinkled from age since they dated back to before the war. A lot of them had detailed writings that informed of dangerous locations or places that could be looted.

"So...this place is the safest route?" Louis asked the clerk. The map on the counter circled an airport not too far from the town.

"Yes sir, that was a private airport from before the war. So it's easy to pass through." the clerk pointed to the areas surrounding it. "Everything around it is dangerous. So it's the safest route if you're heading in that direction."

Louis folded up the map and placed five caps on the table. "Then I'll take it, thanks. Come on, Cavall." he called to the dog.

The store owner noticed the big dog that was looking up at him. Cavall seemed to sense something was off with the clerk and tiled his head with a small whimper. The Vault dweller gave him another call before he turned around and followed.

The Vault dweller approached his friends with the map held up. "Hey, I'm ready to go when you guys are! I have a map of the area!"

"Thank god, Wayland is on his eighteenth skewer..." Chloe said before looking up to him. "Do you even know what you're eating?"

Wayland looked at the meat for a moment. "I think it's rat meat. Very tender..." he chomped off the last of it.

Doug walked up to them with about ten new shotgun shells. But the price annoyed him to no end. "That damn merchant was trying to rip me off..." he fussed before stuffing them into his pocket.

"Please don't tell me you made a scene?..." Victoria asked with concern.

"If he did, we better move it." Louis placed the map in his inner coat pocket. "Better not lose anymore daylight."

"I'm ready to go..." Wayland said while gathering five more skewers from the grill. Chloe sighed and payed for them too.

A few minutes passed as the clerk sat at his counter and waited until the man with the sunshades stepped in with an arrogant smirk on his face. "I did what you wanted, now give my daughter back!..." he demanded him.

The bounty hunter snapped his fingers. From the back room, the bounty hunter with dark skin stepped out with a young woman in front of him. She had her mouth gagged and her arms tied, the bounty hunter undid her wrists and let her run back to her father's arms.

"Now that this phase is done, all we have to do is wait for them to walk into our trap." the shaded bounty hunter said to his comrade before turning back to the clerk and his daughter. "And I strongly suggest you two stay put until the day is over. We don't let anyone get in the way of our bounty..."

"Just go already! You've threatened us enough!" the clerk slammed his hand on the counter.

The shaded bounty hunter smiled unimpressed. "And you just go back to selling your dusty maps. What happens to those people is none of your concern." the two left the small building to join up with the rest of their team.

The clerk owner hugged his shocked daughter closer to him. "I hope the people they're hunting put them in the ground."

()()()()()()()()()()()()

It took the seven wanderers an hour and a half to reach the airport. The area was dusty with a few patches of grass scattered about, the radio tower building and hangers stood on the right side of the very wide tarmac. Scattered on the runway was about nine small planes meant for a few people each and a larger one that crashed from around the time of the Great War. On the left of the runway stood the ruins of several buildings, most of them collapsed and toppled from age.

"This is a pretty big airport..." Chloe commented, they stood in front of the closed off fence.

"Probably some rich asshole's airport. They always made them big so they could fly in private jets and whatnot..." Joe spoke up, his eyes looking over the area.

The chainlink fence opening was closed by a chain and padlock. Doug started to dig out some of his lock picking gear. "Give me a sec, I'll get this open."

Wayland reached out and grabbed the padlock. "Allow me..." the Super Mutant pulled and broke the chain with ease and pushed the rusty doors open.

"Not bad, big green!" Louis gave him a thumbs up.

The group walked into the private airport, the only sound was their footsteps and the gentle wind blowing. As they approached a downed plane meant to carry more than a dozen people, the wind started to pick up again. Cavall stopped and sniffed the air, the hybrid picked something up an unfamiliar scent and turned his head to where the old buildings stood and started to growl.

Everyone stopped in their tracks from hearing Cavall's growls. "What's wrong boy? Do you smell something?" Victoria asked the dog.

A loud pop rang out in the area along with the sound of a metal ping heard right next to the group. The side of Chloe's temple sprayed a little blood in the air from a hard impact. The Synth girl collapsed to her knees, her onyx black eyes slightly rolled up from the sudden impact of pain with her head tilted to the side. Doug called out her name and caught her before she hit the ground. But another shot was heard, this time his right lower leg was the target. It exploded with pain from the bullet that bore in and out and fell to his knees screaming.

It was clear now that they were under attack, Louis glanced over and saw the glimmer of five scopes in the distance and screamed out. "Snipers!"

Wayland quickly grabbed Doug and Chloe with his big hands and lifted them off the ground like toys. More shots were heard as they started running to the grounded plane, it almost seemed like they were being herded to it because all the bullets were only hitting the ground. They slid behind the vehicle roughly as the shots finally died down.

More than half a mile away, the man with sunglasses and his fellow bounty hunters took position on a small building. The ones that carried the long cases had their military grade sniper rifles set up with the crosshairs focused on the fallen plane.

"And now...we wait for the right opening..." the shaded man spoke with a smile.


	15. IN THE LINE OF FIRE

**CHAPTER 15: IN THE LINE OF FIRE.**

" _The only real power comes out of a long rifle." -Joseph Stalin._

Silence washed over the area once more. For now, the sniper fire had stopped. Doug clutched his bleeding leg and cursed like mad, Louis fished out a stimpak from his pouch and went over to inject it near the wound. The young man instantly felt the medicine in it go to work, the shattered bone mended and reset as the through and through opening closed up and the pain dulled away. The only signs that were left was the bullet hole and blood soaked section of his pant leg.

"Appreciate it, Lou, glad you still got some." Doug thanked while rubbing his leg to get some feeling back in it before remembering the Synth woman. "Wait! What about Chloe?!"

"It's alright, she's just unconscious..." Victoria assured him. The redhead was sitting on her knees with Chloe's head resting on her lap. Joe had a small medkit out and was cleaning the wound of her skin. "Her metal skeleton saved her."

"True, but she's gonna have a bitch of a headache when she wakes up..." Joe used a cotton ball soaked in cleaning alcohol. "She took a big blow to the side of her temple. There might be some scarring, but at least the bullet isn't lodged in anywhere." he started getting a gauze pad and medical tape ready.

"Can you see her skull?..." Louis asked him.

Joe nodded. "Hell yeah I can. It's gray, you guys wanna see?..."

"Joe..." Victoria frowned.

"Right, right. Close it up..." the Ghoul muttered.

"What do you guys think is going on? Who's shooting at us?" Wayland wondered and almost stuck his head up.

"Wayland, stay down!" Louis quickly stopped him from getting his head blown off. "This isn't a random attack. Whoever the shooters are, they planned this..."

Two more shots flew above their hiding spot and land nearby. "Why are they shooting if we're not running?" Doug growled in frustration.

Louis was fishing around in his pockets for something. "Because they're trying to make us panic. And where the hell is it?! Ah, here it is!" he pulled out a small, rectangle mirror and stood up. "Let's see if we can get an idea of who's out there..."

The Vault dweller lifted the mirror up to see the reflection of what was out there. It took him a moment before spotting several figures in the distance. He couldn't make out how many there were, and the sunlight started reflecting off the mirror.

"Fucking dammit!" Louis cursed and brought the mirror back down in case they saw it. "They have the sun against us and everything. This is the perfect location to snipe!"

"I figured as much, that's one of the first rules of sniping." Joe finished patching Chloe's wound. "Even if my hunting rifle could reach them, the sunlight would block my scope."

"We can't just stay here and get shot." Doug argued while grabbing his Winchester. "If they don't get us, all that gunshot is gonna attract trouble."

"Friends, I can get their attention while you run." Wayland spoke up. "They'll focus on me when I start shooting with my minigun..."

"As much as we appreciate the suggestion, Wayland, but nobody is going to be a target." Louis stopped the green being from throwing his life away. "We'll get through this mess somehow. We just need to think of a plan."

Victoria was deep in her own thoughts, the method of attack felt unusual to her. She heard of this tactic before, but at the moment couldn't remember what it was.

()()()

"Boss, we got those bastards pinned down now!" the crazed bounty hunter cackled.

The five snipers were laying on the roof with their boss standing just behind them. The remaining three were on guard with military assault rifles in hand. "Of course we do. Because I planned it exactly." the shaded man spoke condescendingly at the sniper. "Just remember, if you have the shot, take it. And make sure you don't hurt the redhead."

"What does Jeremiah even want with the bitch?" the dark skinned sniper asked. "Sure, someone like her is hard to come by, but it's not like he doesn't got a stable of slave girls to choose from."

"I don't know and I don't care." the sunglasses man scoffed. "His whole family is full of weirdos and freaks. I can spend all day telling you guys the things I've heard about his family, and this is from before the Great War. All I care about is the caps, so focus on the task at hand."

()()()

Ten long minutes have passed since the shooting stopped. The group came up with nothing to take on the snipers, making the situation more and more bleak with each passing minute. Victoria gently placed Chloe's head down on a folded cloth for comfort. The former slave had thought it over and finally figured out what this attack was about. Or at least she hoped she knew what the attack was about.

"Louis..." Victoria spoke to get his attention.

"Huh? Yeah, Victoria?" the Vault dweller looked to her. "Do you have any ideas?"

"Maybe..." she slowly rose back to her feet. "Listen, I've put a lot of trust in you all since I started following on this trip..."

Louis didn't like the way she was talking, almost as if she was about to do something reckless. "And we appreciate it, but where is this going?"

Victoria turned away on her heel. "Now I need you to put your trust in me..." she dashed into the opening where the snipers could see her, really hoping she was right about this gamble.

"Victoria, no!" Louis almost joined her in the opening, but Doug quickly grabbed his arm and halted him.

The redhead stopped a few feet from the downed plane. Her arms outstretched and ready, the snipers had her in their crosshairs. "Well?! What are you waiting for?! I'm standing in the opening! Shoot me! Do it!" she called out to them daringly, even flipping her fingers off towards the scope glares.

()()()

"Goddamn bitch!" the shaded bounty hunter stomped his foot. "She's already figured out who we are!"

"What should we do, boss?" the blonde haired woman asked. "I can put one in her leg."

"No! I already told you, Jeremiah wants her unharmed." the leader hissed in anger. "If she's smart, she would run. But she has grown attached to those people, or at least using them for protection. That will be our advantage. Nothing has changed other than the fact she's onto us. So keep your sights trained on the others!"

()()()

Joe frowned in confusion at the silence. "What the hell is going on? Why aren't they shooting her?"

Victoria decided not to press her luck and went back to cover with them. "That's because they're after me. I know who they are. Or at least heard of them. They are Jeremiah's special bounty hunters. They take any jobs in the Wasteland, and that slaver bastard is their top client."

Louis huffed in annoyance. "It all makes sense. They must have been following us, maybe even planned this location." he looked to the group. "But that doesn't mean we're done for. We're a team, they are just here for their next payday."

Doug sighed deeply. "I know we need to work together, just lower the pep talk a little..." he rubbed the bridge of his nose.

Chloe's eyes shot open and quickly jerked up into a sitting position with her hands to the sides of her head. "Ow! Fuck! What the fucking hell happened?!" she groaned with pain through gritted teeth.

"Alright, Chloe!" Doug reached out and placed a hand on her shoulder, a tad too excited for her waking. "Just take it easy. You took a bullet to the head. The short story is we're pinned down by snipers, they're after Victoria. This was all a plot."

Chloe groaned and laid back against the hull of the plane. "Ugh! Just wake me up when it's over..."

"No, this is good. Real good! They think they killed you, we can use that to our advantage in our plan of attack." Louis smiled, a plan started to form in his head.

"I might have something to start with if we get to the control tower building." Victoria eyed his black garb. "Give me your trench coat. They won't shoot if they can't see you."

Louis gave her a raised brow in response while taking the coat off. "Of course. We'll have a higher elevation, and their attentions will be split up."

"While we're thinking of half baked plans..." Doug turned his head to the hangar that was several yards away before looking up to the Super Mutant. "Big guy, think you can drag this plane over to the hanger?"

Wayland looked at the plane, most of the body was broken in half at the middle from the crash. His strength should be enough to drag it. "I can give it a try." he responded.

"Then let's get started. Just remember to stay hidden." Victoria stood up and unfurled the trench coat.

"Got it!" Louis nodded before looking to the Ghoul. "And Joe, I'm gonna need to borrow your rifle."

Victoria held the cuffs of the sleeves and stretched her arms out to cover the front of her body from the neck down like a curtain. Louis caught on and crouched to his knees as low as he could behind her. If he so much as poked a single part of his body out, he would receive a bullet.

The ends of the trench coat dragged lightly on the dusty runway, Victoria's arms held firmly in place with the life of her friend on the line. "So, any ideas after this?"

"Once we get to the control tower building, it will give us a higher vantage point and a better angle for me to use Joe's rifle." Louis informed with the rifle in hand.

()()()

The snipers turned their sights to the redhead, the shaded man frowned deeply. "What's going on?! Those idiots are up to something!"

"Why is she holding that trench coat up?" one of the bounty hunters standing guard asked.

"Because one of them is hiding behind her! Idiot!" the boss shouted with clenched fists. His plan starting to go off the rails. "One of you keep on eye on her. Don't shoot unless you can see the person behind her."

"They're going towards the control building!" the sniper stated.

"Just keep your sights on her and the rest of you aim at the plane! They think they can outsmart us, they got another thing coming!" the lead bounty hunter grew more frustrated, none of his plans have ever gotten this out of control.

()()()

"Are you sure about this, Chloe? You got lucky the first time, but their bullets can still go through your organs." Doug asked as she laid back down on the ground.

"Yes. I owe those bastards some payback." the Synth woman tilted her wound area to the ground and placed her plasma rifle nearby. "They think I'm dead. If they come this way, I can get the drop on them with an ass full of plasma."

"Sounds like a plan to me. Just make sure you don't breath." Joe chortled.

Wayland grabbed the rusted hull of the plane where the wing had broken off long ago. The Super Mutant's fingers dug into the frail side and strained a little at first, but the private jet soon scraped against the pavement. It wouldn't be long until the rest of the snipers took notice of the noise echoing all over the runway.

And soon indeed, new gunshot went off and hit the side of the plane. Three more shots followed, one of them came out very close to Wayland's hand. The Super Mutant didn't let the shots distract him, he only tighten his grip. Joe, Cavall and Doug followed close by and kept their heads down from the windows, the hybrid's ears were perked down in worry. The next bullet that was fired punched through the hull and grazed Joe's left shoulder deeply. The Ghoul cried out in pain from the bleeding cut and covered it with his hand, claiming he was okay for now.

The four were almost to the hangar as Victoria and Louis finally reached the back part of the control tower building near a backdoor. The Vault dweller quickly threw his trench coat back on. After that they kicked the doors down and sent it slamming to the floor. They needed to move quick, the gunshots were starting to get more rapid while avoiding the windows in case the snipers were still looking for them.

Soon they found the stairs that went up to the control tower and ran up the winding path. Halfway up they passed a skeleton that was draped over the rails. The control tower door was slammed open when they reached the top and took position near a broken window. There was still shards of glass scattered on the controls and some skeletons from before the war in their seats.

Louis aimed Joe's hunting rifle out the broken window and kneeled. The bounty hunters had not realized the two made it to the tower. He lined up the scope towards the leader of the bounty hunters, his finger slowly looping the trigger. Everything depended on this shot, the hunting rifle wasn't meant for long range sniping, but the higher elevation of the tower and closer location might be enough to hit his mark.

Just as he was about to fire, Victoria placed a hand on Louis' shoulder to stop him. "Wait a moment, you're aiming for the leader, right?"

The Vault dweller turned his face away from the scope. "Yeah, that's the plan. Why?"

"This might seem strange of me to ask, but I want you to avoid killing the leader if it can be avoided." she hesitantly spoke. "I want to question him and see if we can get an idea where Jeremiah is to avoid him."

Louis gave her a nod in response. "You got it..." he lowered the scope to one of the guards. "I'll make them scatter like the radroaches they are..."

He took a deep breath and activated his V.A.T.S. mode. The world around him slowed down to a crawl, he could see the muzzle flashes of the sniper rifles through the scope and willed the targeting system to the guard with an assault rifle. The blue targeting grid highlighted the head and showed a 68% chance of hitting before moving to the upper body that showed a 72% chance of hitting. Louis put one point into the head and two into the chest before willing his Pip-Boy to fire. The device on his wrist went to work, the sensational jolt was felt throughout his nervous system as it positioned his body steadily and pulled the trigger.

The first bullet flew, it struck the man in the side of his cheek. His teeth on that side were broken to pieces before the next bullet hit him in the chest just under the neck in the area where his armor was the lightest. Blood sprayed from the wound as the last bullet hit very close to the second. The world around Louis speed up back to normal, along with their position exposed.

()()()

It may have seemed like a long time to the Vault dweller, but it happened in only a few moments to the unsuspecting bounty hunters. The guard that was shot collapsed to the roof, blood pouring out from his bullet holes as he choked on it. His agony was soon over though, the body going limp as blood pooled around him.

The boss turned his eyes to the control tower while pulling out his sidearm and spotted them. "Idiots! They're up there!" he fired a few shots their way, the bullets hitting all over the outside of the tower under the windows before they took cover. "You two come with me! We'll kill that fucking Vault dweller!" he ordered the other two guards. "And as for the rest of you, go after them! They're almost at the hanger!"

The bounty hunters with assault rifles followed the shaded man while the remaining five with sniper rifles leaped off the low building with their boss and split off.

()()()

Louis and Victoria practically flew down the winding steps of the control tower. "Well, that worked out better than I thought!" the redhead stated.

"And now I have no idea what to do next." Louis chuckled awkwardly. "But at least we got him pissed! That's always a good start."

They reached the bottom steps with a hard thud. "Well, if you're fresh out of idea, I might have one more..." she looked at his coat again. "Random question, does your coat have a hood?"

()()()

Finally, the four came up to the hanger, Wayland let go of the hull and went up to the sliding hangar doors. He put his hands into the cracked opening and forced the metal doors open enough for them to go in.

"So what now?" Joe asked before wincing from the pain of the bullet wound. "Shit. They're not shooting anymore. That can't be good."

Cavall seemed to answer for him, the dog turned around and growled at the approaching threat.

Doug turned back to where the gunshots were coming from and didn't see the people on the roof anymore. "I think it's because they're coming after us!" he alerted.

"Come on! We'll lose them in here!" Wayland said as he squeezed through the opening.

Doug, Joe and Cavall entered with the Super Mutant. The inside was heavily dusty from age, most of the windows had been broken. Only a scattered amounts of crates were laid about with an old propeller plane in the middle of the room. The wanderers took cover behind the crates, knowing the snipers would be coming their way.

The snipers reached the other half of the plane and stopped for a moment. "You two wait right here in case we need backup or they flee." the sniper with dark skin ordered the crazed man and woman with short hair.

The bounty hunters took their position a few meters away from the plane with a perfect view of the doors. One of them glanced over at Chloe's body on the ground and smirked at his work. Slowly, the Synth woman opened one eye to see their position. Her hand slowly reached for the trigger of the plasma rifle, but for now she needed to wait for the right moment to strike.

The remaining three snipers widen the hangar doors, the thick sheets of metal scraped loudly on their tracks. More dust and sand floated out, making the inside a little difficult to see. One of the snipers spotted drops of blood on the floor, trailing to a stack of wooden crates nearby.

Grinning with joy, the bounty hunter slowly followed the trail. Eager to put a bullet in one of them. "I hope it's the Ghoul..." he quietly said to himself. The man quickly maneuvered to the other side of the crate with his rifle ready, but found nothing on the other side. "What the hell?..."

Joe poked his head up from above. "Hey, asshole!" he was hiding behind a higher stack of crates near the wall at the top. "I heard what you said..." the Ghoul kicked the crate in front of him and sent it all tumbling down.

The bounty hunter screamed as he was buried under the crates, only his rifle was sticking out when it was done. Joe started leaping back down to the floor as the other two bounty hunters started shooting at him. Doug and Wayland came out from hiding behind crates at the back end of the room and fired at the unsuspecting opponents. The snipers went behind the doors for cover on the outside. Both sides began exchanging gunshots, Doug fired in bursts with his 9mm as Wayland covered with his assault rifle. The snipers would turn into the hangar and fire from the hip, the shots punched through just about everything with ease. Wayland suddenly felt a burning pain in the side of his waist, a sniper bullet got him after it punched through the crate he was hiding behind. The Super Mutant just ignored it and pressed the attack.

The two snipers watched their comrades fight from afar. "Do you think they need help?" one asked the other.

"Give them a minute. Those idiots are pinned down. We already got the merc bitch, so we'll get these guys soon." the other scoffed.

Now was the time for Chloe to attack. She gripped her plasma rifle and slowly stood up while taking aim. The snipers heard footsteps and a charging sound and turned to see the end of her glowing barrel pointed at them. "Surprised to see me?..." her finger looped the trigger.

The snipers looked to each other in horror. "How? I know I put a bullet in your head!" the crazed looking one freaked out.

"Oh, good. That makes this part much more easy. And satisfying..." Chloe smiled before pulling the trigger twice.

Bolts of burning plasma hit the bewildered bounty hunters square in the chests. They flopped to the ground, their armor already starting to melt and burn. The Synth woman went in for the kill as they writhed on the ground. One of them made the mistake of clawing at the burning plasma and ended up watching his fingers melt from the green gloop. Chloe soon finished them off with two shots of plasma to the faces. It was over in a moment for them.

The snipers spotted their two comrades fall to the mercenary before she ran back for cover. Needless to say, they were baffled on how she was still alive. But their attention was quickly turned back to the people shooting at them.

Doug reloaded his 9mm and came out from his hiding spot with the gun held up in both hands and pulled the trigger rapidly. The snipers hid behind the hangar doors again as bullets hit the doors until Doug ran out of ammo and went behind a stack of crates near the plane. Both bounty hunters reloaded their rifles and started shooting into the hangar once more. Another bullet went through the crate Wayland was at and got him in the side of his left elbow. The bounty hunters wanted to make him the main target for now. The Super Mutant felt another stab of pain, this time his upper right leg was hit where it was more exposed.

The Super Mutant grit his teeth in anger. He dropped the rifle on the ground and grabbed the crate in front of him. Wayland lifted it with ease and tossed it across the room with a mighty yell. It slammed into the door where the sniper on the left was and sent him flying to the asphalt. The impact of the crate broke the rusty door off its tracks at the top with a loud screech. And before the sniper could even get up, the metal door fell right on top of him and pinned him to the ground.

The last sniper finally panicked, she decided this job wasn't worth it anymore and ran for her life. Doug moved from his hiding spot and charged out the door with his Winchester rifle in hand. He stopped and raised the rifle, his eye looking down the sights before taking a deep breath and fired.

The sniper screamed out in pain and fell to the ground hard, the back of her knee bleeding as the rifle went flying from her hands and landed several feet away. She moaned and fought back tears while crawling for her weapon.

Doug slung the Winchester over his shoulder and looked back into the hangar where he was first hiding and called out. "Cavall! Go get her..."

The large hybrid charged out from his hiding place at full speed, passing Doug in a matter of seconds. Cavall barked viciously and went in for the kill, he was on top of the bounty hunter and sank his teeth into the back of her neck and thrashed around. Her screams were soon silenced in a few moments by the large predator.

The Wastelander heard rumbling and looked down to see the bounty hunter that was pinned by the door crawling around under it. He finally poked his head and arms out in relief, only to look up and see Doug's Winchester pointed at his head. Nothing was said between them, the only thing to do was for Doug to pull the trigger and end him with one shot.

Back in the hanger, Joe pulled the man he buried under the stack of crates out from under it by his arm. The sniper's head was covered in bruises and some bleeding cuts.

The Ghoul gave him a light kick in the side to wake him. "Hey, dumb fucker..." he gave another hard kick. The bounty hunter just moaned, but he was out cold. "Eh, screw it..." Joe rolled his eyes and pulled out his revolver from its holster and put a round into the man's head. Blood and brains splattered out from the exit wound.

Wayland jogged outside with a huff. "We almost got them all. We have to hurry and help Louis and Victoria..." he stated.

"Right on, big guy..." Doug nodded. The group ran towards the control tower building as Chloe joined them. Only three more bounty hunters to go.

()()()

Inside the building, the shaded man and his two guards searched the first floor, keeping themselves close and alert. "Come out now, bitch! You're going back to your master, no matter what!" he shouted out loud and fired several shots into the air.

A scuffle was heard at end of the room, the remaining bounty hunters pointed their weapons towards the location. Surprisingly, one of them slowly side stepped into the room from the hall. But the person was wearing the black trench coat with a hood covering the head. The person had their back turned to the bounty hunters, making it impossible to tell who was there.

"What is this shit?! Do you really think I'm gonna fall for such a cheap trick?!" the shaded man started marching for the person behind the coat. "You two keep an eye out. The other one is lurking around somewhere!"

He aimed his gun at the person in question and slowly approached. When he was finally in range, the bounty hunter raised his hand and grabbed the shoulder harshly and turned whoever it was around. The face of the redhead was the one that greeted him with an odd smile. The shaded man was confused for a moment until he realized why she was smiling, the muzzle of her .223 revolver was placed firmly under her chin.

"What's wrong? I'm here, come and take me..." Victoria dared him to act.

The shaded man took a step back. "You don't have it in you to pull that trigger!" his free hand clenched into a fist. "And once you're tied up, I'll bring the heads of that Vault dweller, the asshole, and the zombie back to Jeremiah for their bounties! I don't need the rest of them!" he tried to reach for her.

Victoria stepped back and looped her finger around the trigger. "If I die, you don't get shit. You'll be lucky he doesn't just kill you." she narrowed her eyes at him. "So bring it. See if you can stop me before I pull the trigger!"


	16. MARKED

**CHAPTER 16: MARKED.**

" _A man must be big enough to admit his mistakes, smart enough to profit from them, and strong enough to correct them." -John C. Maxwell._

Victoria stood with the .223 gun firmly under her chin, the shaded man needed to be careful with his next move. "If you think I'm going with you, forget it!" the redhead gave the trigger another light squeeze. "I'll die before going back to Jeremiah and his slave trade."

"If you were ever gonna kill yourself then you would have done it a long time ago..." the shaded man wasn't buying it with her. "And I know this is a pathetic attempt to distract me while the Vault dweller tries some half ass plot! Where is he?!"

The redhead took a step to the side and carefully eyed something at the far end of the room. She saw the glint of light reflecting off the small mirror Louis had earlier. It was on a displaced desk and propped up by a dial phone. Louis stood in the next room near the door with Victoria's bow and arrow in hand and looking out at the mirror being his only line of sight. He notched an arrow onto the bow string, Victoria gave him a quick rundown on how to use it, but he had never used such a weapon before. The plan was to silently take out the two bounty hunters one at a time, but it seemed they were sticking around with their boss.

"For the last time, you better drop that damn gun, bitch!" the shaded man bellowed. "You should consider yourself lucky you're just his pet and not working to death like the other slaves."

Victoria gritted her teeth and pointed the gun at him. "And you won't be able to collect your bounty on us with a head full of bullets!"

Both bounty hunters looked to their boss and aimed their guns at her. The shaded man ordered them to hold their position before turning back to Victoria. The Vault dweller figured now was the time to strike while the bounty hunters were still turned away. He drew back the arrow and quickly moved out from the room he was hiding. Louis took a deep breath, he only had one shot at this while taking aim as best he could and let the arrow fly...right into the ass of the bounty hunter on the right.

The man howled in pain and dropped his assault rifle. Running around like a chicken with its head cut off and crying while trying to pull the arrow out his cheek.

Victoria almost dropped her gun, completely dumbfound at such a terrible and embarrassing shot. Well, more embarrassing for the man with an arrow in his ass.

"Shit...I meant to get him in the back..." Louis said to himself.

The other bounty hunter turned to the Vault dweller and aimed his rifle with a furious look on his face. Louis barely managed to lunge back into the room as bullets shot through the walls while he dived for the floor. The bounty hunter gave chase after him and soon stepped through the door as another arrow that shot from Louis lying on the floor and punctured into the man's shoulder. The bounty hunter screamed and pulled the arrow out with a pained groan before realizing the Vault dweller had fled into the next room and continued the chase.

As Victoria listened to the random gunshots, the shaded man reached out and grabbed her wrist and pulled the gun away. "If you want to die, then do it after I turn you in!"

The redhead tried to pull away as he grabbed her other wrist, but she still didn't let the gun go. "And if I die here, you're as good as fucked!"

Louis ran into the next long room as bullets flew all around, the bounty hunter was getting closer to him and would soon have a perfect shot. He then turned his head and spotted an overturned cylinder trash can laying on the floor. A quick idea popped into his head as he suddenly stopped running and kicked the trash can into the air, leaving a sizable dent in it. The bounty hunter raised his arms instinctively as the can slammed into him. Louis finally had an opening and closed the gap to tackle the man to the floor while knocking the rifle out of his hand. The two rolled around the floor, trading blows and curses at each other. The bounty hunter flipped on top of him and pulled out a knife from his back pocket and tried to stab him.

Louis blocked with his forearm. The blade dangled only inches from his face. "Hey, buddy, that blade is getting close to my face." he joked.

"Just shut the fuck up and die!" the bounty hunter shouted.

A grin spread across Louis' face. If the man had payed attention, he would have noticed his legs were spread open above. The Vault dweller quickly drove his knee right into the man's groin, he screamed in agony and dropped the knife. Louis moved his head in time as the tip stabbed into the floor. Louis shoved the man off of him, the bounty hunter curled up on the with his hands covering his crotch. Louis crawled over to the assault rifle and picked it and turned to the man on the floor to empty the clip into the bounty hunter. After the man was done, Louis dropped the rifle on the floor and left the room.

()()()

The shaded man slammed Victoria against the wall and chocked her with his forearm. She tried to kick him away, but he only held her more firmly against the wall while holding her other hand that still held the gun tightly. He pressed against her throat harder, his intent was to make her pass out.

"Hurry up and get the rope! She's almost out!" he ordered.

"Boss...I still have an arrow in my ass!" the bounty hunter whined. He was hunched over a desk and trying to pull it out inch by inch.

"I don't give a fuck if a Deathclaw bit your ass off! Just get the fucking ropes so we can tie the bitch up!" he screamed at him.

Louis stormed into the room with his Desert Eagle in hand and fired a few rounds at the last bounty hunter. But he saw him coming and quickly dived behind the desk as the bullets tore into it. He pulled out his handgun and returned fire blindly from behind the desk. Louis ran from the flying bullets and fired the rest of the rounds in his gun at the back of the desk where it was the weakest and put the man down for good.

The shaded man grabbed Victoria's collar and roughly threw her to the floor and finally pried the .223 from her hand. The Vault dweller staggered over the desk and leaned on it with one hand to catch his breath after dodging several bullets and barely taking out the last bounty hunter. But his victory was short lived when he heard the sound of a hammer being drawn back and looked over to see the shaded man pointing Victoria's gun at him.

"You fucking bastard! The only thing you've achieved is giving me and the others more shares of the bounty on your heads! I can always get more people to work for me!" the shaded man shouted.

Louis narrowed his eyes at him. "Bounties, huh?..."

"That's right! And unfortunately for you...all I need is your head. Thanks for having that machete. Makes chopping it off much more easy!" the shaded man grinned and pulled the trigger.

The hammer hit the chamber, but nothing was shot. The bounty hunter pulled the trigger again and again, all of them empty. He looked towards Louis and saw that he was smiling deeply, it was then that the man saw it was all a trap. Giving him an empty gun in case he got it out of Victoria's hand. He shouted with a curse and tossed it aside and reached for his sidearm, but his legs suddenly gave out from a powerful blow to the back of the knees. He landed on his back and head with a loud thud, his vision blurred for a few long moments with a ringing in his head until it slowly returned to normal. Only to see the Vault dweller and redhead standing over him.

Victoria looked down with a cold face. "You should have watched your back..."

"Do you still want him alive, Vic?" Louis asked her.

The redhead deepened her frown, she had half a mind to take one of her SMGs and fill him with lead. But thankfully she took a long breath and raised her boot over his head. "Yes..." the heel hit the man square in the forehead, the back of his skull slamming into the concrete and knocked him out cold.

The fight was finally over. All the bounty hunters have taken out with their now lone leader their captive. The two gathered up their gear and checked them over.

"Thanks for your help, Louis." the redhead gave his coat back.

Louis threw it back on. "Not a problem. That was a clever idea with the gun." he complimented.

"I figured he wouldn't risk me killing myself, I'm just too valuable to die." Victoria scoffed while taking her bow and arrows back and suddenly laughed lightly. "But that shot with my bow was just terrible..."

"Hey, it was the first time I've ever used something like that!" the Vault dweller defended.

"Speaking which, we should see how everyone else is doing..." Victoria suddenly remembered the rest of the group.

Her worries were answered by the sound of a door being kicked down somewhere in the building, followed by heavy footsteps coming towards them. The remaining members of the group charged into the room with their weapons pointed forward and shouting all kinds of curses, expecting a fight.

"Alright! Put your fucking shit down and we'll kill you quick!" Doug shouted while waving his shotgun around before realizing the other two were okay and lowered his weapon. "Well, shit. Looks like you guys took care of everything..."

"Thanks for the rescue anyway, Doug." Louis gave him a wave. "I assume you guys took care of the rest of those assholes?"

"Dead as dead could be." Joe answered him.

Chloe pointed to the shaded man on the floor. "Is he dead too?"

"No," Victoria answered and looked down at the bounty hunter. "But I'll make him wish we did."

"So it's interrogation then." Chloe cracked her knuckles, which sounded like metal scraping. "I know a few tricks..."

Louis kneeled down to pick the man up by the arms. "Let's get him tied up first. Don't want him to run off before we get some answers."

Victoria bend down to grab his legs. "Time to make him pay for what he's done to us."

They threw him onto an old rolling chair by a desk and found some rope in the pack of the dead bounty hunter and tied his arms to the armrests and legs to the pole of it. After that, everyone took the time to relax and loot the bounty hunters for spare ammo and things they needed. Louis and Doug dragged the last two to the back of the control tower building, the Vault dweller insisted there was no reason to let them rot out in the opening.

"I still don't see why we're doing this for them, Louis..." the Wastelander said as he moved the body into the shade.

"I know, I know..." Louis shrugged to him. "But it's not like they were Raiders. They were just following orders, even if their boss is a greedy asshole."

"Even so, they tried to kill us." Doug did one last quick check to see if there was anything of value. "I don't mean to be hard on you, but that nice streak could get you killed one day."

The Vault dweller folded his arms. "If it makes you feel better, I won't go down without a fight." he quickly checked his Pip-Boy. "I can't afford to die, not until we find out what's at the end of the signal..."

The sound of heavy footsteps came their way and turned to see Wayland approaching. "Hey. Victoria said that guy is starting to wake up."

Louis smiled and gave his knuckles a crack. "About time. Let's find out what he knows."

Back inside, everyone watched as the shaded man started to wake. Joe had his denim jacket and long sleeve shirt off for Chloe to clean and patch the wound on his shoulder from the gunshot wound while having a smoke. Cavall laid on the floor fast asleep. Victoria leaned against the wall with one foot against it, resisting the urge to punch the man awake.

Louis and Doug entered the room with them just as the shaded man finally opened his eyes. When his blurry vision finally cleared, he looked around to figure out what was going on before realizing his arms and legs were tied to a rolling chair.

"What the fuck is going on here?! What did you all do to me?!" he demanded while trying to struggle free. His shaded eyes then fell on Chloe and Joe and went silent. His face turning a shade pale. "What the hell is this?! How is she alive?! I know one of my shooters put a bullet in her head!"

"Can I kill him now?..." Chloe asked, wanting payback.

Louis approached the man. "Maybe later. For now, we need him to talk." he grabbed a nearby chair and set in front of the man with the back towards him. The Vault dweller sat on it and folded his arms on the backrest. "For starters, what's your name? You seem to like wearing sunshades. Can I call you Mr. Shades?..."

"No!.."

"I'm gonna call you Mr. Shades."

"Fuck you!" he spat and tugged at his ropes.

Louis just leaned forward for a moment. "Let's start with what we probably already know. You were hired by that Jeremiah person to capture Victoria and bring her back to him. So I can only imagine you've been following us for some time. That must mean there's quite a bounty on us. Although I can't imagine there being bounties on Chloe and Wayland since they've joined us not long ago. How close to the ballpark am I?..."

The shaded man sneered at him. "Yeah, we've been following your trail, so the fuck what?! I'm still gonna get that bounty on your heads!"

Victoria decided to step in now. She grabbed a fist full of hair and turned his head towards her face with anger burning in her eyes. "Stop fucking around! How much did Jeremiah put on our heads?! Answer me!" she tugged at his hair harder.

Louis quickly stood up and placed a hand her wrist. "Victoria, just calm down for a moment. We'll get him to talk." he spoke sincerely.

The redhead let go of the man's hair and stepped back, her eyes never leaving him.

The Vault dweller turned back to the man and grabbed his collar. "So tell us, how much of a bounty do we have?" the man didn't say anything. "Do I have to start knocking your teeth out?..."

"Hey, Louis," Joe called to him. The Ghoul was putting his shirt and jacket back on. "Search his pockets. If he's a bounty hunter, he might have the information of us in them."

Louis gave him a quick nod before searching. The bounty hunter cursed and shouted at him to stay out of his pockets, but the Vault dweller ignored it before finally feeling something out of place in the back pouch. He pulled out a parchment paper that was folded a few times and opened it. On the paper was a hand drawn picture of Victoria with the hair colored in, and below her image was writing saying her bounty is eight thousand caps and to be brought back unharmed. And under that was a short description of Louis, Doug and Joe. But there wasn't much details to their features except for the number 96 on Louis' jumpsuit, and their bounty five thousand each.

"Wow, five thousand caps on us. This asshole is a big spender..." Joe looked at the paper with intrigue.

Victoria grabbed the bounty sheet and looked at the image of her, disgusted at the amount of detail to her image. "That bastard. Of course he has the blood caps for our bounties!"

The Vault dweller gently took the paper back to look at their info. "Hmm, seems like one of those slavers survived. That's the only way they could have known about my Vault number. But why isn't there more information on us?"

"If I had to guess, Jeremiah must have killed whoever survived before they could say anymore. He always punish people who fail him." Victoria spat with her arms crossed.

"And the bounty is only gonna get bigger when he finds out there's two more people in your group!" the shaded man spoke up again. "I don't know how that bitch over there survived, but I'm sure she can still die like anyone else! And that Super Mutant's bounty will be especially high! Hell, maybe the mutt will get a bounty too!" he started to cackle.

Cavall perked up at his tone and growled, his ears slanted down with the lips of his snout slowly raising to show his teeth. The big dog slowly stood up on all fours and moved to the shaded man, growling like a feral beast.

The shaded man panicked and tried to back the chair away. "Hey! Get this fucking dog away from me!"

Louis reached his hand out and pet Cavall's head to calm him. "Don't tempt me to let this dog have his way with you, asshole." he warned firmly. "So do yourself a favor and tell us where Jeremiah is."

"Why? So you can try to avoid him? Fat chance on that, Jeremiah has more bounty hunters than just me! You can run to the edge of hell and he will always send people after you!" he struggled around against his restraints again. "Tell me, what did she say to make you all help her like a damsel in distress? Was it her fiery red hair? Her flawless and rare beauty? Oh, I know, she spread her legs nice and wide for you, huh? Did you guys take turns? Or did you all dive in at once for a really messed up four way?!"

Doug snarled in rage and pulled out his sawed-off and marched over to the man. The bounty hunter received a hard smack of the barrel upside his head, a trickle of blood started to go down. He then placed the double barrel to the side of his head. "Can we kill him now?! This piece of shit doesn't deserve to limp back to his employer!" his finger tighten on the trigger.

"I say we let him go back!" Victoria stood turned away from them. "He might get a bomb collar slapped around his neck! If he's lucky."

Wayland could easily see that everyone was starting to get too worked up over the bounty hunter. "Look, why don't we all take a break on what to do with him. He can't do anything now."

Louis sighed deeply and rubbed the back of his head. "The big guy has a point. Let's take a breather before we put a bullet in this bastard's head."

"Wow, you people are so kind..." the shaded man snidely spoke.

Wayland grabbed the backrest and turned the man to him. The Super Mutant gave a terrifying growl before making the seat spin incredibly fast and almost sent the chair falling to the floor. If he had eaten earlier, he would have probably puked by now. The chair finally came to a slow stop with his head hanging limply, everything spun as he dry heaved from the nausea.

Everyone left the room knowing that the bounty hunter wouldn't be able to escape with his ropes too tight. The wanderers went to the entrance of the control tower building to hang out for a bit. Getting information from the man was harder than they thought, he was surprisingly tightlipped for a bounty hunter. Victoria stood outside in the opening near the runway and looking up to the sky with a deep scowl. The Vault dweller looked on at her, knowing she was deeply upset and wanted to say something to help.

"Don't do it, kid..." Joe suddenly spoke.

Louis jerked his head towards him in surprise. "Do what? What do you mean?"

"I know what you're thinking. You want to go and ask what's bothering her, but we both know whatever she's going through is a very personal thing..." the Ghoul sat on a plane seat that had been removed long ago. The old man could read him very easily. "I've met a lot of slaves that escaped from their owners, and each story I've heard has shock me to my core. This world is filled with sick fuckers..."

"Even if that's true, she can't keep it bottled up." Chloe spoke next. "One way or another, she will have to deal with her past."

Louis looked back to Victoria. "I'm still gonna talk to her." he stated, despite Joe's warning and started walking towards her.

Joe scoffed to himself and pulled out a cigarette. "Damn smooth skins..."

The Vault dweller quietly came up behind her, but she was already aware of his approach. If anything, she expected it. "I know you want to ask if I'm okay. Well I am, so you can leave now." she said without turning to him, her tone unintentionally harsh.

"I hate to say it, but you don't seem to be..." he replied cautiously.

The redhead then spun on her heel to face him. "What do you want me to say?! I'm being hunted by a slaver who will do anything to get me back! And now you guys are targets!" she placed a few fingers to the side of her head. "I shouldn't have come with you guys. I'm only going to get you all killed!"

"Now just stop it!" Louis raised his voice, startling her. "I don't care if someone is gunning for me! This is the Wasteland, someone is always gonna get attacked one way or another. Whether it's a common Raider or gun for hire by that slaver, I won't let anyone push us around. I won't force you to stay with us, but I promise I will protect you and everyone else."

Victoria's stern face soften at his words. It truly amazed her how confident he could be even in such dark situations. And she knew once his mind was made up he would stick with it. "Where do you get all that confidence?" she asked gently. "You shouldn't put so much on your shoulders."

"I'm the one who's leading us across the country. Everyone's safety _is_ my priority. It's the least I can do with the danger all around..." the Vault dweller turned his bashful eyes away.

Before Victoria could say anything else in defense, Doug stepped up to them. "Hey, sorry to bother you, but that asshole has been yelling to see you, Louis."

"Me? Why would he want to see me?"

"I don't know, he just said he wanted to talk to you alone. So I gave him a smack before leaving." Doug smiled proudly.

"Fine. I'll go see what he wants." Louis walked back into the building to the room where the bounty hunter waited. He turned his head up to him, the brows of his eyes furrowed behind the shades. "So I guess this isn't a social visit. Talk, now."

"I just wanted to say something..." the shaded man shifted as much as he could in his bonds. "I won't tell you where Jeremiah is, if that's what you're wondering. Even I don't fully know, he moves around a lot.

"Then why did you call me in here?" Louis started to grow impatient.

"Because I know what kind of man you really are..." he gave a crooked grin. "And sooner or later they will find out too. I've traveled far and wide in the Wasteland all my life and run into people like you before. So no matter what you say, you will get them all killed at the end!"

Louis had enough of his insults and grabbed the armrests of the seat tightly. The shaded man was rolled into the wall so hard that the backrest cracked the plaster. The Vault dweller then marched up and grabbed his collar tightly and brought his face close to his.

"You don't know a damn thing about me! I'm not the one who lead my people to their deaths like you did!" Louis' eyes seemed to bore right through the man's shades.

"I can always get more people! But as for _you_ , it will kill you on the inside when they die! So I hope you suffer a hell like no other!" the shaded man bit back.

Louis scoffed and let him go, tired of hearing his bullshit. It was then that the rest of the group came into the room to find out what was going on.

"Are we ready to go yet?" Doug asked him. "We're losing daylight."

"Yeah. We're ready to go..." Louis answered, his angered frown still on the shaded man.

Victoria went over and looked down on the bounty hunter. "I've decided to let him go back to Jeremiah. At least we can send a message that we won't go down without a fight."

"Yes! We are warriors!" Wayland boasted loudly and pumped his fists in the air.

"Dial it down, big guy..." Joe pat his side.

"Just one thing before we go," Chloe stood over him now. "You had a perfect chance to kill us all out in the open. So why didn't you have your people do it?"

The shaded man chuckled, it seemed he wanted to keep pressing his luck with them. "I've been a bounty hunter most of my life. And believe it or not it can get boring. Chase the target, capture them, bring them back, collect the bounty. Over and over it begins to blend in. So...the reason why I didn't kill you all at once except for red over there?! I did it so I can see what you all would do in that situation!"

"Like some kind of game?!" Victoria threw her fist back. "You sick bastard!"

Her fist collided into the shaded man's left lense and side of nose, breaking it with ease. The man moaned in pain, his brown eye already starting to swell from her hit. A trickle of blood fell from his nostril and down his lips.

"Yeah, like a game. It's always so fun to see what people do under pressure. Sometimes friends turn against each other. Sometimes they will offer to turn over the target to save their asses. And sometimes they just panic and run. Always so interesting to see what they do! Especially with a Vault dweller calling the shots! _Sorry_ if that isn't the answer you expected to hear! Not everything is a grand scheme! Sometimes people do things for shits and giggles!" he laughed like a wild man to mock them all.

The group was finally done with him. Joe pulled out his revolver and cracked the butt of it over his head to put him out cold. "I'm starting to enjoy knocking people out..." the Ghoul grinned at his work.

Louis grabbed the back of the chair and rolled it over to a cleaning closet nearby. He pulled the door open with effort since it seemed to have been closed since the Great War. He loosened the ropes enough so the shaded man could get himself free. Eventually. After that he shoved the bounty hunter into the closet and kicked it close. Hopefully he would stay unconscious until they were far away.

They soon passed the chainlink gates at the other side of the airport. Despite the amount of time they lost, the wanderers were still on the right path of the signal. For awhile, the group was dead quiet. Victoria was especially silent after learning that they were now a target for every would-be bounty hunter Jeremiah could round up and hire. It was all she could do to force back the memories and keep a straight face.

"So...what do you think Jeremiah will do with that guy?" Doug asked to get rid of the silence.

Victoria thought it over for a moment. "I'm not sure. Or really care." she answered. "Jeremiah is unpredictable on a normal day. If that man is lucky, he'll just be brushed off and Jeremiah will move on to the next hunters."

Louis moved a little closer to her side. "He can send as many as he wants. They're just hired thugs looking for an easy pay."

"But that asshole will tell that slaver about me and Wayland. Which means there will only be more caps on all of us." Chloe stated to them. Cavall suddenly barked playfully as if he understood her. The Synth woman chuckled and gave him a pat. "Yes, maybe even you will get a bounty, boy."

"We will be infamous together!" Wayland excitingly pumped one fist.

"Hey, big green, being hunted isn't fun." Joe said to him. The Super Mutant still had a lot to learn about the Wasteland.

"I say bring them on. Bounty hunters always got good loot." Doug smiled at the idea of taking their gear.

"Then it's settled," Louis smiled before looking onto his Pip-Boy screen for a moment. "We wont take shit from any bounty hunters. Right, Vicky?..."

Victoria couldn't fight back the smile that spread across her lips. "Dammit, Louis, why are you so confident?" she asked, to which he shrugged in response. "But you're right. We'll keep moving forward. Just don't ever call me Vicky again."

"I promise to try..." Louis swore with his hand up as an honor pledge.

"Just so you know, he probably will call you Vicky again!" Doug interjected.

"You ass..." Louis simply retorted.


	17. THE FIXER

**CHAPTER 17: THE FIXER.**

" _It is questionable if all the mechanical inventions yet made have lightened the day's toil of any human being." -John Stuart Mill._

March 21/2296

Another day in the Wasteland for the wanderers. Another day of being attacked by Raiders. A gang of eleven jumped the group on a highway road near some old buildings of a small town somewhere in Downsville. But the Raiders were poorly equipped and already lost a few of them during the struggle.

One Raider ducked back down behind his cover and started reloading his assault rifle that was on the verge of breaking. Just as he finally got the clip in, he heard growling from behind and turned around with terror just as Cavall lunged and bite down on his face. The last thing he saw was a mouth full of fangs.

Another Raider was stricken by a bullet that punched through his neck. Blood sprayed onto the concrete before he collapsed face first into a puddle of it. Joe stood at a distance smiling from behind the scope of his hunting rifle before moving the bolt to load another round.

A female Raider fell to her hands and knees as green plasma burned through her makeshift metal and leather armor with ease before another shot to the back put her down for good with plasma burning through both sides. Chloe then loaded a new cell into her plasma rifle.

Wayland fired at three Raiders on the run with his AK-47. The people took behind a concrete slab as the Super Mutant's gun ran out with a couple of clicks. He began reloading it as the Raiders noticed they had an opening and returned fire. A bullet grazed his left upper arm before he hid behind a hollow car.

The three Raiders were too busy trying to shoot down Wayland to notice Louis sneak up and unloaded more than half his clip into them in a sweeping motion. But it wasn't by his desire to stop shooting, the AN-94 assault rifle suddenly seized up on its own, making the Vault dweller look at it with worry.

Victoria held her 10mm SMG in hand and fired at the Raider with a machete coming after her in the legs. But the gun jammed up on her too as the Raider fell to the ground with legs and guts full of bullets. The redhead took pity on the wailing man and pulled out her .223 pistol to finish him off with a few shots.

Doug but a load of buckshot into the Raider in front of him with his sawed-off and opened it to reload. He turned around just as a Raider came out from behind a collapsed building. Without any words, he pointed the gun at the surprised man who froze up in terror as he pulled the trigger.

 _Click._ The gun didn't fire. His eyes widen before looking down at the weapon in surprise before pulling the other hammer back and fired again. _Click._ Another misfire. Neither one of his barrels fired the shells. The Raider showed his rotting teeth to him with a crooked smile and started to raise his rifle.

"Looks like your weapon doesn't work. Sucks to be-" Doug chucked the shotgun right into the bridge of the man's nose and broke it. "You fucking bastard!" the man wheezed with blood dripping onto the concrete road.

Doug reached for the holster of his Browning and pulled the gun out, hoping the gun would work, and fired a few rounds into the stunned man, ending his life.

The fight was over as the last of the Raiders fell dead. The wanderers soon looted the Raiders for ammo and caps, only to find next to nothing on them. Which wasn't surprising considering how poorly equipped and prepared they were.

"Okay, anyone hurt?" Louis called out to them. He still held his assault rifle, trying to figure out what was wrong with it.

"Everyone's here and accounted for." Victoria stated.

"Yeah, I'm fine too." Doug spoke half heartily. He was also inspecting his shotgun.

"Damn these Raiders..." Joe mumbled in annoyance. "Wasted ammo on them and they don't have shit!"

"I agree." Chloe slung her plasma rifle over her shoulder. "I've seen some pitiful Raiders before, but these fuckers barely qualify."

"Still doesn't matter how much they suck if your shit don't work." Joe finally caught up to them. "I saw that some of you were having trouble with your weapons, what happened?"

Louis held his rifle up and sighed. "I don't know. It just jammed up."

"Same here. My 10mm is acting weird too." Victoria waved the SMG for a moment.

"And my shotgun didn't fire at all." Doug held it up.

"Hmm, sounds like you guys need to get your weapons fixed." Joe speculated, he looked at the worn weapons. "We better find a settlement with a repair shop. The last thing any of you need is malfunctioning guns in the middle of a fight."

"I hope so," Doug looked at his weapon with concern. "I really like my sawed-off."

"Then we should go, before more enemies attack." Wayland firmly stated the obvious.

"Of course, big green. That was the plan anyway." Louis put his rifle away before they moved on.

Thanks to some directions and a map, they were on the path to a known settlement. On the trip they spotted several displaced RobCo signs laying around. The signs had all kinds of their slogans printed on them, faded words of a forgotten era where even most common families could have a Mister Handy as their personal robot butler.

Victoria stood in front of a fallen sign for a few moments to observe what was on it. "This is like the third sign we've passed, what are they about?"

Chloe stopped and looked. On it was a happy family sitting down for breakfast with a Mister Handy serving them. "Oh, this? This is a sign about RobCo and their company. It's one of many they had all around the country."

"Did everyone have this robot back then?" Victoria looked at the robot with a box of cereal in its claw. "It seems a little creepy to have something like that floating around."

"They're not half bad..." Louis came over. "We have a few in the Vault to do routine tasks. Although...don't put an open flame under the exhaust of older models. I learned that the hard way..." he remembered the day just how flammable they could be. "I burned off my eyebrows and the top of my hair."

"If you guys are done talking about setting things on fire, we need to keep moving!" Joe called to them rudely.

An hour passed until the settlement on the map came into view. Several meters away from the front gate was a handmade sign calling the place, Trader's Haven. It was a settlement made of metal torn from various buildings, vehicles and concrete along with anything else that could be found. The wall surrounding it was made of fences and sheet metal welded together with signs of bullet holes here and there.

Once they passed through the opening, the unusual group was greeted with awkward stares by the locals going about their business. Not far from the entrance stood a lone, two stories building made of all kinds of metal sheets, frames, I-beams, wooden boards, and on top was a commercial plane engine with the fan slowly rotating from whatever powered it. The sign hanging above the covered entrance called the place, Garry's Trade & Repair.

"Oh, wow. We're in luck." Louis looked at the sign with a smile. "We can get our stuff fixed."

The group stepped up in front of the shop and spotted a man sitting at a long table with a computer terminal and set of tools in front of him. It was most likely the owner of the store, he was passed middle aged with thinning brown hair and a shaggy beard with some streaks of gray to it. His clothes and overalls were worn with stains of oil and grease. The shop owner had the terminal back opened, carefully and skillfully pulling out pieces and components and placing them in bins set at the side of the table. There were also about fifteen other computer terminals against the wall of the store front. Even with the store front cover shading him, he seemed to know the terminal inside and out.

Everyone watched the man work for a few moments before the Vault dweller cleared his throat to speak. "Uh, excuse me-"

"Go talk to my assistant inside." the owner said with a rough voice before putting the hollow terminal on the floorboards and turning to grab another one against the wall. "I'm busy right now."

"So I assume you're the owner, Garry?" Victoria asked.

"That I am..." he eyed the back of the new terminal suspiciously, noticing some tampering.

"Can your assistant help fix our weapons?" Doug held up his shotgun to show.

"She can pretty much fix anything as long as she's got the tools." Garry said while slowly opening the back.

Wayland turned his head and saw a hole in the ground a few meters from the store. "Hey, what's this hole for?"

"Funny you should ask. Step away from it." Garry pulled something out from the terminal. Everyone was able to see it for a brief moment. It was a live grenade that had been set inside the terminal as a booby-trap. He chucked the grenade at a perfect arc that went straight into the opening. "Fire in the hole!" he shouted as loud as he could.

Moments after that, the grenade went off with a dull thud that sent dirt and dust flying out from the hole.

"That hole is around thirty feet deep and lined with about a foot of concrete. It can take just about any explosive I dispose of..." Garry answered what they were all thinking.

"How often does that happen?" Chloe asked curiously.

"More then I care." Garry went back to taking out the valuable parts. "Now go on in if you want your stuff fixed."

Once inside the shop they scanned over the dusty place. Shelves and displays were lined with just about everything you could think of. Tech, tools, ammo, equipment, guns on the wall behind the counter, and boxes upon boxes of more items and scrap for sell. They looked around for a moment and didn't see the assistant at the counter or anywhere else.

"Uh, excuse me! Anyone here?!" Joe called out.

His answer came in the form of a loud crash, as if something big and full of junk fell to the floor and scattered its contents everywhere and rolling away.

"Aw, shoot!" A female voice with a Hispanic accent groaned from the back room. It sounded like she dropped a box full of parts. "It's all over the place! Garry's gonna have a fit..."

"Excuse me, but we need to see someone..." Louis cleared his throat and called.

"Just a sec, please!"

Moments later, a young woman came out from the back. A Hispanic woman around twenty-four as they thought from her light accent. She had frizzy and slightly curly light brown hair with a black bandanna wrapped around her forehead to further elevate the wild hair. Her eyes were a dark amber color with a number of light freckles around the cheeks. She had a slender build and just over five foot eight. She wore a RobCo jumpsuit, pale green in color but faded and stained permanently in many places from dirt and grease, thick gloves, high boots and a big belt with tools and pouches.

"Garry send you guys in? Figures since he's busy defusing rigged terminals." she held out her dust gloved hand. "Names, Inez Trujillo. I pick up the slack around here when the boss is busy."

Louis reached and firmly shook her hand. "Nice to meet you." he said before quickly introducing himself and the others.

Inez looked him over for a moment and noticed the distinct blue of his jumpsuit. "Oh, my god! Is that what I think it is? Are you a Vault dweller?! I've always wanted to see a Vault dweller!" she beamed excitingly.

Louis glanced at his suit for a moment. "Uh, I guess it's pretty obvious I am one..."

"This is amazing! I've always wanted to meet someone like you! And go into a Vault too! All that perfectly preserved prewar tech unaffected by the Wasteland!" Inez grinned with too much excitement.

"Hmm, tell you what, I'll tell you about my Vault if you fix our gear up." Louis suggested as he placed his assault rifle on the counter. "They're not working right. I'm guessing wear and tear from the Wasteland."

Everyone else started placing their weapons with his rifle. Inez went over to look them over and quickly found a few signs to the problem. "You're pretty much on the mark. Dirt and dust getting into the guns is a pretty common problem. I can fix that easily. But I need some help from my friend." she placed a hand to the side of her mouth and called. "Asimov! I need you to bring the cleaning gear!"

"Coming..." A strange male voice replied.

The sound of metal clanking on the floorboards started coming their way. Making everyone frown in confusion. Was it someone wearing metal armor? Why would anyone wear such a thing in here? But their answers were soon answered as the person in question rounded the corner of the backroom.

Before them stood an Assaultron, but one they've never seen before. The robot's body was heavily modified beyond any normal model. All Assaultrons had a female like shape to their body, but this one looked more like a male from the modifications. And instead of three pronged claws, they were hands like that of a person. Ten digits and all. The head was also different, where one single lense at the center of the face would be, it was a slender red visor with a ocular receiver moving side to side behind it. And unlike the antennas that usually stick out to the sides, they were flat rectangular fins laying against the sides of the head with a similar one at the back. Everything else was more or less the same, including the military green color and modified antennas on the back.

"Hello. I am, Asimov. A pleasure to meet you..." the robot formally said to them.

Louis, Doug, Joe and Victoria took a quick step back. The memories of fighting an Assaultron that was with the Gunners made them cautious of them all. Even if it was a completely different type.

"Query. Have I done something to offend?" Asimov asked confused.

Chloe turned to the ones that . "You guys can't be that afraid of Assaultrons, right?..." The four told her about their encounter with the rogue Gunners not long after she joined them.

"There's nothing wrong with being cautious around those kind of machines!" Joe shouted back a little harsher then he intended to be.

"Don't worry. Asimov is my friend." Inez smiled brightly. "My papa and I fixed him from the ground up when I was a kid. I learned just about everything I know from him."

"That's sure interesting," Victoria looked towards the robot. She started to feel that it wasn't a threat. "Does it help with the work here?"

"I look at Asimov as guy. And yes, he helps me out. He's kinda my unofficial protector. You can thank my papa for that." Inez went to the counter and started to inspect the weapons better. "This will take some time, but it's nothing I can't handle!"

Wayland suddenly came out from the back with something in hand. It was a Vault-Tec bobble head of the company mascot. "Hey, Louis! This toy has the same jumpsuit like you!" he held it up to him. It seemed so tiny in his massive hand.

"I...guess so..." Louis responded awkwardly as its head bobbled almost mockingly at him.

Inez looked at the Super Mutant, her eyes went wide before placing her hands over her mouth and gave a loud scream that freaked everyone out. "Is that what I think it is?!" she pointed to Wayland.

Louis quickly stepped between them. "Calm down! He's a Super Mutant, yes, but he's not like-"

The young woman quickly passed him and soon in front of the confused Super Mutant. "Is that the CZ57 Avenger minigun?!" she asked frantically. Her body bobbing up and down like an excited child about to get a gift. "Wow! It's even been modified too! The gun's body has all kinds of reinforced plating!"

Wayland turned his head to the gun hung up on the side of the ammo box strapped to his back. "Uhhh, yeah, it is. I suppose." He answered her. Her excitement made him a little uncomfortable.

"Can I work on it?! Please!" Inez clasped her hands together. "I have never seen one up close!"

"Hey, you can service all our weapons. But we need them fixed up as soon as we can." Doug spoke with urgency.

Inez snapped out of her daydream. "Oh, right! I almost forgot! It's just most of the weapons I fix are junk or very common!"

Asimov placed some cleaning gear on the counter. "They are right, Inez. These people need your services so they can survive the Wasteland."

Inez sighed in defeat. "Alright. I get it. So let's get started." she gave her neck bones a crack, followed by her gloved hands and started going to work while Louis told her about the Vault he grew up in.

()()()()()()()

Far from Trader's Haven, a group of fourteen people stood ready. They hid in a burnt out building with one side completely collapsed and open. They all looked like Raiders, but not like the common ones across the Wasteland. They wore metal pieces of armor made from various robots. And the weapons they carried were far more advanced and maintained.

One man with binoculars scanned Trader's Haven for a few moments and spotted the shop they were looking for. He placed the binoculars down and turn to his comrades. "We found the place. She's there. Arm it and send it towards the gate..."

Four Raiders rolled in a Protectron on a dolly and placed it on the ground. One went behind it and opened the back panel and twisted some knobs and flipped a few switches. The clunky robot activated like normal as its reprogrammed systems ran a diagnostic. The lead Raider went up to it and pointed.

"Go towards the gate of that town and wait."

The Protectron beeped a few times before marching forward at its incredibly frustrating slow pace. The Raider in the lead pulled out a device from his pocket. A small handheld item with an antenna and trigger. He flipped the cap open and activated the glowing red button.

"That robot will take awhile to get there. Which gives up plenty of time to prepare. Our boss wants the girl named Inez. Apparently she's a mechanical genius." the lead Raider spoke to them. The group started to prepare by arming their weapons. "Our boss says with her skills, the Rust Devils will become the strongest Raiders in all the Wasteland!"

()()()()()()()()()()()()()

More than an hour passed as Inez did the finishing touches on their weapons. Doug's sawed-off needed new hammers while Louis' assault rifle had a large buildup of dirt in the chamber. Everyone else's guns had various fixes that were minor. Inez polished the scope of Joe's hunting rifle, calibrated the charge chamber of Chloe's plasma rifle, and there was some spare bow strings for Victoria's bow.

"And so the water purifier can store up to five million gallons of water to clean before recycling back into our pipe system." Louis passed the time by telling her the details of his Vault. "And you should see the system that cleans our air. It practically takes up a whole section."

"Wow! That's all so amazing!" Inez smiled brightly over the amazing information. How she wished she could spend time in a Vault and see all its technology. "I could almost tolerate the cramped space if I had all that tech to look at!"

"It's not that bad." Louis rubbed the back of his head. "It's only cramped when too many people occupy the halls or something."

Everyone else paced around in the store looking at all the nicknacks for sale, including ammo and supplies. Doug and Joe talked about whether to stop for the day or continue on.

Victoria was browsing a rack with hunting arrows. The sound of Louis and Inez's laughter caught her attention again, her eyes darted towards the two for a moment before turning away, a small sigh escaped from her lips. "They sure like to talk shop with each other..." she said to herself with a huff.

()()()

Outside near the gate, two guards stood on the top posts scanning the land before spotting movement coming their way. The Protectron slowly marched up to the gate, spouting its routine phrases that are programmed into all of its models.

"Is that a Protectron?" one of them asked.

"Why is something like that coming here?" the other spoke.

The Protectron was only a few feet away from the settlement gates. The Rust Devils were on their way to the gate as well, the lead Raider ordered everyone to take cover behind whatever random stuff they could find. He pulled out the trigger from a pocket and flipped the cap open and pressed his thumb down on it.

The guards pointed their guns defensively at the Protectron, unsure of what to do about it. But as soon as the Protectron stopped in front of the gate, the settlement was shaken to its core.

A flash of light emitted from the Protectron's glass top before an explosion erupted. The Protectron's body was rigged with explosives from the inside, powerful enough to blow the gates right off. Pieces of metal shrapnel went flying all over and left nothing but a smoldering crater where the Protectron once stood.

The Rust Devils came out from their hiding places and ran for the new opening. While they were hiding, they put on special gas masks as a few pulled out grenade launchers they carried.

()()()

Everyone in the shop felt a rumble shake the whole building. Dust fell from the cracks of the ceiling as the group soon heard the sounds of panic from the people outside.

"What the fuck was that?!" Joe reached for his revolver, but quickly realized it was on the table with the other stuff.

Garry entered the shop and ran towards the counter and pulled out a hidden assault rifle and loaded it. "Y'all stay inside! We got Raiders attacking us!"

"Raiders?" Inez asked. "Sure it wasn't a mini nuke?"

"Just stay inside. I don't want any customers shot while they're in the shop." he firmly ordered.

"Sounds like he's worried we'll be killed before we pay..." Doug whispered to Chloe.

Garry ran out the building, the rest of the town guards started to gather as the Rust Devils flooded in. The ones carrying the grenade launchers aimed their weapons up and fired. The grenades left trails of smoke behind in their paths, instead of the explosive types, they were smoke grenades. The area near the entrance was soon covered in a thick smog that left the guards blind. The gas masks the Dust Devils wore allowed them to see through the smoke and breath, so it was easy to pass by the guards as they fumbled around.

Smoke started to seep in through the crack at the door and the windows. Everyone backed away, the chaos outside was getting worse. They could barely see people running around aimlessly, along with random gunfire of guards trying to fight back.

Louis turned to the counter and went for his guns. "I don't care what that Garry guy said, we need to help fight before we get killed in the crossfire."

Everyone else started crossing the room to get their guns. "We'll be pinned down if they break in..." Doug grabbed the handle of his shotgun.

The door was suddenly kicked open to the point where it almost broke off, two Rust Devils charged into the room screaming and cursing at them not to move. The wanderers had only grabbed their weapons, but didn't have a chance to load them. They were completely vulnerable as more smoke started to pour in.

"Give the girl up and we won't kill you all!" one of them ordered while pointing at Inez.

The other Rust Devil aimed his gun towards her, he had a wide grin behind his mask. But in that instance, a red laser beam flew across the room and shot through his chest. The Raider dropped his gun and clutched the burning hole as everyone looked to the shooter. Asimov had his right arm raised, a hidden weapon poked out from his forearm with the barrel over his lowered hand. Before the other Raider could react, the customized military robot raised his other arm as another laser gun folded out.

Asimov finished gunning them both down on the spot. Several burning red beams burrowed through with ease before they collapsed to the floor, smoke sizzling from the wounds. "Strange, I do not recall us ever encountering these people, Inez." he said once the threat was over.

"Because we never have! I don't know who these people are. I would never get involved with any kind of Raider." Inez looked down at the bodies.

"Whatever the reason is for this attack, they'll shoot whoever gets in their way." Joe loaded a drum into his combat shotgun.

"Right, so let's return the favor." Chloe's plasma rifle started to charge.

"No. You all will only endanger yourselves." Asimov headed for the door, stepping over the dead Rust Devils. "The smoke is still too thick, these Rust Devils are wearing advanced gas masks that let them see through it. I have scanners that will allow me to see."

"Just be careful, Asimov..." Inez spoke with worry.

He turned his head towards her. "I always am." with that he closed the door behind him.

The air was still thick with smoke. The Rust Devils kept laying the smog down to buy more time while Asimov marched through it as if it was clear as day. He heard the scream of a Rust Devil charging after him with a sledgehammer, but he was quickly shot down on the spot by the Assaultron and flopped to the ground. Asimov then spotted someone kneeling on the ground and quickly identified him as Garry.

"Garry, what were you thinking coming out in this smoke?" Asimov quickly helped him up. "Prolonged inhalation to smoke will cause respiratory irritation and inadequate oxygen in your bloodstream."

The shopkeeper coughed hoarsely. "Thanks for the medical tip!" he coughed again. "But we can't stay here! These are the Rust Devils that chased you two around, right?"

"Yes. They are." he confirmed.

"Then it's worse than I thought! I got a good look at the leader! He's carrying some kind of prewar weapon, and I think I know what it is!" Garry quickly explained before having another coughing fit.

Asimov's systems kicked into overdrive, the visor glowing red. "I will not allow that!" he spoke more menacingly, instead of his usual calm and artificial voice.

The group tried to stop the smoke from coming in, but there was already too much inside. "Shit! Since when the fuck did people like them get smoke grenades?!" Doug cursed while stuffing a rag into the windowsill.

"I think it's a bunch of riot gear. There was a lot of angry mobs rioting across the country." Joe informed before coughing. "Fuck, I really need to quit smoking!"

"How do you know it's a bunch of riot stuff?" Wayland asked him.

"I just do..." The Ghoul placed a hand over his chest where the police badge hanged under.

Cavall suddenly perked up, his ears going slant before growling towards the backroom. A new crashing sound was heard as three new Rust Devils burst in. The lead Raider held a strange weapon in his hands, it had a long body with all kinds of controls across it and a wide open barrel at the end. A charging noise was heard as light glowed from the end of the barrel.

"Holy fuck...that's a-" Joe's eyes went wide from seeing the prewar riot weapon.

The Rust Devil pulled the trigger, the light burst from the end of the barrel and flew across the room. Everyone in front of it was hit and collapsed to the floor. The weapon emitted a pulse that left everyone dazed and numb from head to toe before losing consciousness while Wayland just felt weak and sick.

"It worked! Get the girl!" the lead Rust Devil ordered.

One of them quickly picked her off the floor and threw her over his shoulder. Now that they had who they came for, the lead Rust Devil ordered them to retreat out the back. Once outside, the scattered Rust Devils began their escape when they saw Inez being carried away.

Asimov and Garry knocked the shop door open and quickly looked for Inez and found no trace of her. Only the wanderers laying on the floor.

Louis struggled to push his head up with a strain. "They took her...some weird weapon...hurry..." he said before finally giving out.

"Garry, help them! I'll get Inez!" Asimov said before leaving. The shop owner quietly nodded.

Asimov charged for the ruined gates, the smoke started to clear up to make his search easier. Their escape was moments away, most of the Rust Devils had left with only a few staying behind. They knew the Assaultron would chase them to the ends of the earth as long as they had Inez. So they waited with a plan in mind to get rid of their robotic problem.

The modified bot slowly approached them, the visor slid up and started to charge the deadly laser attack like all Assultrons have built into them. "I will only say this once. Let her go..." he warned, his robotic voice now as fearsome as a killer robot from a horror movie.

The Rust Devils gave mocking smiles in return. The one in the lead pulled out a new detonator from his pocket. "I have a better idea. Fry, tin can!" he spat and pushed the trigger.

Asimov's scanners picked up a signal from the ground and turned his head to it. A magnetic hum was heard before something came bursting out from the dirt that had been recently dug around. It attached to his chest and started beeping, leaving him only moments to scan before identifying it. The device was made of wires, Tesla coils, and other random parts that unleashed a powerful electric shock that shorted out his systems.

There was nothing he could do but collapse to his knees. His visual systems began to fade, the last thing he saw was Inez being carried off. Asimov fell face forward into the dirt, the red of his ocular slowly faded to black and all systems went out like a dead battery.


	18. FORGOTTEN WAR MACHINES

**CHAPTER 18: FORGOTTEN WAR MACHINES.**

" _It is only when they go wrong that machines remind you how powerful they are." -Clive James._

Blackness. That's the only thing that filled Asimov's vision. Lines of code started to scroll across his point of view, the system reboot was being initiated. But by what source?

"Okay...I think I got it..." a scrambled voice was picked up by his audio receivers.

"Are you sure you know what you're doing?" the new voice became more clear. This time he identified it as Doug's.

"I've worked on machines in my Vault. I can handle this..." now Asimov identified the first voice as Louis.

"Louis, why does your Pip-Boy screen say self-destruct activated?" Joe asked next.

"I got it! I got it! I got it!" he tried to hide his panicky voice but failed.

Asimov's reboot system finally kicked in. His vision turned back on, everything was a mess of colored pixels that slowly gained contrast and shapes until he saw the seven wanderers looking at him. Louis unplugged his Pip-Boy cable from Asimov's chest, the Vault dweller managed to pry the top left section open, looking for any means to reactivate him.

The modified Assaultron slowly sat up, they carried him back into Garry's shop and laid him on the counter. Asimov stepped back down on the floor and headed towards the door to scan area and found the whole town in complete chaos. People were checking around to assess the damage. Nobody was killed by the Rust Devils, but there was still many injured from being assaulted or lung damage from the smoke. Guards were posted at the ruined gate with workers already fixing it up as best they could. Some were still pulling out shrapnel embedded in the walls.

Asimov didn't need to process that Inez was taken. "The Rust Devils...they took her..."

"We know..." Louis sighed. "We couldn't stop them."

"How long was I shutdown?..."

"About two hours." Chloe answered before rubbing the side of her head. "That weird device they had knocked the shit out of us. We've only gotten back on our feet awhile ago."

"I felt so numb and about to puke. What was that thing?" Victoria spoke. Still felling tingly in her hands and feet.

"That was a riot suppression gun. Or a RSG." Joe answered with a groan. "It's meant to make people lose control of their bodies so they could be easy to arrest. If memory serves, it was a Vault-Tec thing."

"Sounds about right." Louis looked back to Asimov. "Do you know where they took her? Do you have anything at all that we can use?"

Asimov checked his data for a moment. "No. We have never even encountered these people before."

"I might be able to help with that..." Garry walked up to them, looking a lot better than before. "We managed to kill five of those bastards. Two of them thanks to Asimov. But one of them survived a gunshot wound at his side."

Asimov perked up to that information. "Where is he?" his visor started to glow red.

"Hold your horses. The town guards are having a chat with him." Garry stopped him before he marched off. "You know people are only okay with you because Inez was around. But if you go off all killer robot on that man, there's no telling how they will react."

"We need answers, and we need them now!" Asimov's robotic tone changed to more urgent.

"I'll have a talk with him." the shop owner slowly smiled. "Don't forget, I'm one of the people that run this town. And for good reason because I keep the water purification system working."

Asimov finally cooled down, so to speak, at his words. "Alright. Do what you need to do."

Garry nodded in response before turning back to the group. "If you guys really want to help Inez, then meet me back at my shop. I will only need a few minutes."

The wanderers and Asimov walked back to Garry's shop and waited outside. Several minutes later they heard someone shouting and turned to see Garry dragging the surviving Rust Devil by his shoulder strap. He was stripped of all his armor with a bandage wrapped around his stomach with a smug of red at the side. The Rust Devil cursed at him and tried to get away, but his injuries and the town guards roughing him up badly made him too weak to flee without being easily caught.

"Let me go, asshole! Let me the fuck go!"

Garry paid the man no mind and dragged him over to the manhole sized pit near his shop. Before the Rust Devil knew it, he was slung towards it and forced to stand on the opening with only his toes barely keeping him from falling in.

"Hey, what the fuck is this?! Let me go! Please don't drop me down there!" the Rust Devil quivered in fear before glancing down the deep hole.

"Then you better tell us where you bastards took Inez before I lose my grip!" Garry warned, his fingers loosening to make his point.

The Rust Devil yelled with fear and flailed his arms around for balance and taking great care to keep his knees stiff. "Like I would tell you! If my boss finds out I snitched, he'll order our bots to rip me to pieces!"

Asimov finally stepped in and grabbed his other shoulder strap. The Rust Devil was now looking into the red visor of the Assaultron. "Not unless I do it first! Now talk! Because I have more than just laser guns in my arms!"

The Rust Devil's eyes wandered to the hole below him. Either way he was in no position to argue. "Alright! I'll talk! I don't even like our leader anyway. The guy's a fucking nut job."

"Then talk!" Garry spat.

"We came from an old military facility that we've been living in for the past few months! It's called Fort Metalstar, and it's filled with all kinds of prewar tech! And with all the RobCo factories scattered around, we've gotten all kinds of robots to tinker with!" the Rust Devil caught his breath. "The fort is about a six hour walk from here! But you guys will never get in! We have all kinds of bots on guard and around fifty Rust Devils to boot! So no matter what you do, old man, they'll kill you all! So give up on the girl!"

Garry turned to Asimov and gave him the nod to let go. "We'll see about that, you fuck! But you won't be around to see what happens."

Gravity sent the Rust Devil falling straight down the hole. His attempts to grab something failed immensely before hitting the bottom. A crunch sound echoed, followed by a howling scream. The man had broken a leg or two upon impact with bits of shrapnel and concrete cutting him.

"I told you everything I knew! You can't do this!" his voice called up.

The shopkeeper pulled out a grenade from his pocket and pulled the pin. "I don't make deals with Raider scum like you! Just because you add a title doesn't make you any less of a waste of human life!" he shouted down the hole before dropping it in.

In moments the grenade hit the bottom. "What the fuck is- oh, god, noooo!" was the last thing the Rust Devil screamed before it went off, sending dust flying out like the countless other bombs that went off in it before. Everyone almost couldn't believe what they just suddenly saw.

"Whoa! Brutal!" Doug broke the silence amongst them.

Asimov and Garry quickly passed the group and entered the shop. They soon followed and watched the two dig around in the backroom until Garry came back and placed a map of the area on the counter.

"Let's see..." his fingers traced around on the old paper. "We're over here in Downsville, so Fort Metalstar is...here! In Roscoe!" Garry tapped his finger on the map that showed the location on the outskirts.

Asimov analyzed it, loading the route into his data. "He was telling the truth, on foot it will take about six hours. I will start heading there now."

"Hold on a second," Garry held his hand up. "I'm coming too. No offense, but a robot fighting a bunch of people that work with tech is like a prewar cow fighting a slaughterhouse."

"They had me off guard with that trap. I will not make that error again."

Their attention was suddenly drawn by items put on the counter with a clatter. Louis picked out several clips for his assault rifle. "Which is why we're gonna be the ones to go rescue her." he answered the question on their minds. "You stay here and help fix this town up."

Everyone else was picking up ammo and grenades, as much as they could carry.

Doug grabbed a box of shotgun shells. "Once Louis makes up his mind there's pretty much no stopping him." he decided not to bother arguing with the Vault dweller. Plus, he wanted payback for being sucker punched by the Rust Devils and their prewar weapon

Victoria strapped an extra quiver on her back. "And we owe Inez for fixing our weapons."

"Oh, sure, just pilfer all my stuff..." Garry frowned at how casual they were being.

"Hey, you said it, not me..." Joe gladly took a box of hunting rifle ammo.

Chloe found some plasma cartridges in the back. "We'll just do what Asimov's doing. Pay you back with all their stuff."

"I too want to help Inez." Wayland spoke loudly. "She screamed because she was happy to see my minigun. Not because I am a Super Mutant."

Cavall started wagging his tail and barked. The large dog always seemed to understand what they were doing or planning.

"Why are you all doing this? You don't even know her and you're risking your lives to help her?" it baffled Garry that these complete strangers would go out of their way to help someone.

"Because someone has to." Louis answered and slung the rifle. "I won't stand idle as people like those Rust Devils do what they want to others."

"And he'll die if someone isn't watching his ass all the time." Doug interjected, his voice deadpanned as ever.

"I can't allow you all to do this. Inez is my responsibility." Asimov declined them. "She wouldn't want you to do this just for her."

"Even so, you're going up against impossible odds." Louis quickly got between him and the door, despite knowing he couldn't physically stop him. "All I ask is that you calculate your chances with our help."

Asimov turned his ocular lens to the wanderers and quietly scanned them. His processor analyzed their physics and the weapons they carried before coming up with a calculation. But the readout only increased his chances by a small percentage based on what they were told about the fort.

"I can't guarantee your safety." the Assaultron cooly warned. "This will be a dangerous task for all of you."

Louis threw his hands up with a smile. "Dangerous tasks is what we do..."

The group finally began their trek with Asimov leading, the best route to take was displayed in the top right corner from his point of view when he scanned the map image. Garry stood outside his shop and watch them shrink away in the distance. Worry and fear still plagued his mind, this could very well be the last time he sees Inez and Asimov, along with the strange people that wandered into the town of Trader's Haven.

Once they found a road, everyone picked up the pace to make up for lost time. But they won't be able to reach the fort before nighttime. The sun was already going down in the distance, which meant they would have to find shelter and wait till morning. But each moment still left Inez at the mercy of the Rust Devils.

()()()()()()()()()()()()

The fort soon came into view, the Rust Devils approached it cheering and alerting the other members on guard duty. The ones that stayed welcomed them back like heroes returning from a dangerous mission.

Inez had woken up more than halfway through the return. Needless to say, she gave them hell. Once she regained consciousness, her knee quickly slammed into the chest of the one that carried her. Even with his armor, the wind was knocked right out of him. And as soon as her feet hit the ground, she tried to run. But Inez was only able to get a few feet before being tackled and grabbed, to which she kicked and threw her fists wildly. The one that carried her received a busted lip and black eye for the trouble until they tied her wrists behind her back and gagged her with a cloth.

"Took you guys long enough to get back. You know the boss is waiting." a Rust Devil with grease painted around his eyes and cheeks said to the returning members.

The one that lead the squad stepped forward. He stroked the goatee on his chin. "The bitch woke up halfway back." he answered as the ones who held Inez forced her to her knees. She kept cursing at them through her gag. "She better be worth it. We lost about five of our people when we attacked that town."

"Take it up with the boss if you got a problem..." the grease eyed Rust Devil kneeled down in front of Inez and grabbed her chin. "Our boss has been waiting for you for a long time..."

Inez showed no fear and just yelled as best she could with the gag muffling her voice. She was roughly pulled back up and forcibly pushed forward. The building of Fort Metalstar was soon towering over her. The concrete building had crumbled heavily from age, all of its windows were cracked and shattered with tons of chunks broken off everywhere. The high fence was the only thing left around the perimeter that offered protection from intruders. The concrete sign near the front that displayed its name had been vandalized, the name 'Metalstar' was crossed off by spray paint with a new writing above that now called it 'Fort Rust Devils' in crude spelling and their symbol off to the side.

She was pushed inside the fort entrance, her eyes slowly looked over the place to get her bearings if or when the opportunity to get away came. The rooms that she saw were the typical mess of a Raider hovel, but with the Rust Devils it was a mess of technology, robot parts, and tools with people at workstations building their next bots for destruction. Everything else of value or worth had been taken away or just thrown out and burned for fun.

Inez was taken out the back entrance, two Assaultrons stood at the sides of the door as guards. Her thoughts went to Asimov, she didn't know what happened to him during the attack. All she remembered was being knocked out by the strange weapon and waking up in the middle of nowhere and being carried like a prize.

They were now moving towards a hangar at the center of the fort grounds. Inez looked around again, the fence stood strong and impossible to climb over with the barbed wire at the top and robots patrolling on a programmed route. Finally she was lead through the open hangar doors where several more Rust Devils stood. All their eyes turned to her, the usually rowdy Raiders went quiet and stopped what they were doing as her mouth gag was taken out.

Inez stood a few feet from the new group of Rust Devils. She heard about the horrible things Raiders do to people, murder and rape, hoisting their victim's bodies up on hooks or heads on spikes just for sick kicks. And the Rust Devils were still no different than the common ones.

"So what's next? You sick bastards gonna have your way with me?!" she twisted her arms, the ropes still tight around her wrists. "Because if that's the reason, it's pretty sad you had to go to such trouble!"

The Rust Devils didn't take that insult well. Their clamoring began back up, some of them even brandished their blunt weapons. But before they did anything, a loud metal clank made them stop. Everyone's attention turned towards the source of the noise as another metal clank echoed in the hangar again.

On the catwalk stood the leader of the Rust Devils, a man with a deranged grin on his tanned face. The right side of his head near the eye had a nasty burn scar that left it black and craggily. From the neck down he wore metal armor made from robots like the others. But his was far more sophisticated in design and custom fitted for each part of his body, leaving only a few areas exposed at sides and back of the joints. Welded on his back armor was a set of 'wings' like the Assaultrons they modified called Gorgons. On his crotch was the faceplate of a Assaultron fashioned into a lewd codpiece.

Inez instantly thought he was poorly compensating.

The leader held a metal bat with spikes welded onto it. He struck the catwalk rails yet again, causing another echo. "At long last, the elusive Inez finally gracing our... _humble_...home..." he headed for the stairs leading down.

In moments he was right in front of her, his eyes leering all over her body while walking in slow, nerve-racking circles.

"So you're the ringleader in this circus?" Inez scoffed with a straight face. "Just one crazy thing after another with you people."

"Oooh! A sharp tongue!" he got closer to her face, she could smell the booze and grime. "I like that. A lot."

"Just tell me what you want, you sick fuck!" she spat in his face.

The leader pulled his head back and grinned. "Yes! Straight to business! I love that!" he grabbed her arm and pulled her close to him before giving his people an order. "You guys can go back to your shit. I can handle this."

The second in command Rust Devil spoke up. "Boss, maybe a few of us should stay with you. She's a lot more trouble than you think..."

The leader sighed in annoyance. "Fine, _Gears_ , you and about..." he pointed his finger towards the group. "Three of you watch the girl..."

"Gears?..." Inez frowned.

"If we are to live the robotic way, then we must embrace the robotic way." he tugged her uncomfortably close to his body. "And that includes going by names that involve parts and tools. Speaking of which, I am Spark! For I am the spark that will ignite our place in the history of the Wasteland!"

Every word was over dramatic, like something out of a bad stage play.

"Are you high right now?..." Inez tried to pull away.

Spark reached up to grab her shoulder firmly. "Not yet. And just to warn you, I have been told I can get a little... _unstable_...when I'm high on chems."

The Rust Devil leader began herding her towards the dark end of the room. It was a section where more toolboxes and robot parts carelessly thrown into open crates. Once they stood a few feet from the dark corner, Spark let Inez's shoulder go. But the other four Rust Devils stayed close with eyes locked on.

Spark walked in strides with a merry smile. He stepped in front of a workbench and picked up a power switch laying on it. He raised his finger up and slowly pressed the button, the cable connected to it lead right into the dark corner.

"You know what I love about all the tech from the prewar era?" he turned his head, a crooked grin spread on it. "People kept finding new ways to kill each other and wage war! And when we found these beauties...let's just say...I was so _fucking_ hard!"

The lights clicked on, revealing the surprise he had been waiting to show.

Sentry Bots. But not like the ones that are seen across the Wasteland. From small to big, from business security to military grade, these ones easily stood above them all. The ten Sentry Bots were far more advanced than any other. Both shoulders had six shot missile launchers compartments, three high powered laser guns on the right arms in a triangular pattern with a cannon in the center. On the left arms was ten barrel missile launchers with a compartment to reload from the inside. At the center of the chests was small barrel cannons that could extend a few feet for better range. The tripod legs were monstrous, heavy and reinforced with tracks that could ground rocks into dust. They were more like boring drills. Near the kneecaps of all three legs housed short gun barrels with the same caliber of a mounted gun on a military vehicle, the armored legs held the ammo inside. Just below the chest cannons was what looked like a spear head with prongs, the small opening around it seemed to house a coiled chain. The ten Sentry Bots were indeed models that no one has ever seen before, they were built for intense warfare.

"What in the name of god are these things?..."Inez's face went a shade paler.

"These, my dear!" Spark threw the light switch down on the table. "Are known as the Prime Sentry Bot models! They are the first and only of their kind! These poor babies never got to see combat..." he sighed as if it was a true tragedy.

"Good! I'm glad they never got used!" Inez spit towards the silent machines. "Sentry Bots are already dangerous enough, these things are mechanical monsters!"

"That's right! That is so right!" Spark moved back towards her with a pointed finger. "And that is why _you_ are here! You will fix them, and bring them back to life! With these things, we can rule a vast amount of land!"

Inez's teeth gritted with anger behind her lips. "I don't understand, you people are the Rust Devils. Fixing machines is what you do. I don't see why I'm needed. If this is your idea of recruiting me, you can blow it out your ass!"

"My, you are sharp..." he slowly licked his cracked lips. "And you're right. We should be able to fix these things up. But the sad truth is, we've lost a lot of our engineers over the years. The Rust Devils have expanded too far and too fast. We're all over the place, and that includes the people that fix the bots. More than third of our people here were normal Raiders before I allowed them to join. They may carry our name, but they are just here to fill the ranks."

"And I'm guessing you're not much of a engineer yourself?..." her voice was practically dripping with disappointment.

"I'm more of the idea man." he gave his bat a playful twirl. "My older brother was the mechanical genius before he went off and left me in charge so he could set down a stake in Boston or something. He was supposed to send for us...but that was quite a few years ago. I assume he's dead at this point..." he sighed and hanged his shoulders limply. But he soon perked up like flipping a switch. "Oh, well! Life goes on!"

"Quite the sob story. But I'm still not going to help you..." Inez spoke defiant.

"Ah, yes, so set on saying no..." Spark walked back up close, almost in her face. "But see, the thing is, I know about you. I know you came from across the border. I know you came from the outskirts of Mexico City, I know you and your parents were apart of a large group that traveled the country fixing up prewar tech so people could have power and clean water and security! And meh, meh, meh, bleh!" his tongue stuck out during his childish rambling.

If Inez could, she'd bash his face in with a large wrench.

"I also know your folks had you stay behind in that town over five years ago with that glorified Assaultron. It would be a real shame if my people and robots burned Trader's Haven to the ground..." his grin was worthy of a demon.

"You sick bastard!" Inez threw caution to the wind and tried to jump him, despite her arms tied behind her back. She would have to settle with smashing his head in with her forehead. But Gears quickly came up from behind and grabbed her arms and held her back. "Once Asimov gets here, we're gonna tear this place apart! You fucking pig!"

"I'm afraid your bot won't be coming at all..." Gears spoke in her ear.

"What the hell are you talking about?!" she tried to turn her head to face him.

"Oh, that means you guys used it! I knew it would work." Spark cackled at her confusion. "You see, we made a little device with a powerful magnet and electric surge module. It's powerful enough to short out even your Assaultron for good!"

"It's too bad you were unconscious. We buried it in the ground and waited until your bot got close enough." Gears let her arms go before giving them a warning squeeze. "I watched as your friend was hit by tens of thousands of volts until collapsing to the ground. So it's no more than junk at this point."

It felt like a sledgehammer hit her gut. She was the only one capable of fixing him up. It felt like her chances were fading by the minute. "No! That can't be true!"

"Sorry, but it is. So forget your old friend and the robot." Gears showed no emotions to his words.

Spark started clapping his hands and laughed. "Wow! All these emotions running high! It's almost like one of those prewar soap operas!" he looked up to a wall cloak at the end of the room. "And look at the time! It's getting late. We'll pick this up in the morning. I still have so much to tell you!..."

The Rust Devil leader grabbed her arm again and pulled roughly. She was taken to the back room that looked like a holding cell. Inez wondered why a military hangar would need such a thing. They stopped at the last cell as Spark opened the metal bars before untying her wrists and firmly pushed her in.

"Rest well my dear. Tomorrow you make our history..." Spark slammed the cell door shut.

Inez slowly turned on her heel and looked him in the eyes. "I'm only gonna say this once. The very second your back is turned, the very second your guard is down, I will end you and everything that goes on in this awful place!"

Instead of taking her threats to heart, Spark just smiled again. "Ooh! You keep talking like that and I might get super hard!" he replied, giving his Assaultron codpiece a jiggle. "I look forward to it! Sleep well! I'll have someone bring you food later! And don't worry, the toilet works too. I think..."

The two Rust Devils walked off, leaving the young Hispanic woman alone. Inez wanted to scream and bang against the old cell doors. Do anything to escape, but even if she could she would only be caught again. There was no way they would let her get away after all this time. She sat down on the lumpy prison mattress, sighed in defeat at feeling so helpless. Asimov and her had been inseparable ever since she was a child. Ever since she and her parents fixed him up when he was pretty much scrap. And if they truly damaged him in a way that only she could fix, then escape had now become impossible from deep within the den of the Rust Devils.


	19. ROBOT'S DEN

**CHAPTER 19: ROBOT'S DEN.**

" _With regard to robots, in the early days of robots people said, 'Oh, let's build a robot' and what's the first thought? You make a robot look like a human and do human things. That's so 1950s. We are so past that." -Neil deGrasse Tyson._

Once night fell on the group they took refuge in an old hardware store with two stories. The main street they found was near Roscoe like the map showed, but there was still a another two hours or so before reaching Fort Metalstar. They shacked up on the top floor and set up a place to sleep.

Joe started a small fire in a tv. He actually shattered the screen, take out as much pieces as he could and flipped it on its back and threw in wood to burn. Their meal consisted of canned pork n' beans with Brahmin jerky. Wayland and Chloe quickly secured the area before it was time to sleep. They wanted to get an early start in the morning.

"So how did that electric surge short you out?" Louis asked the Assaultron.

"The magnet in the device interfered with my circuitry, and the electric surge only added more to the problem and deactivated my systems." Asimov answered him. "Thankfully I have a backup surge guard that prevented memory corruption. But I am only working at 91% efficiency. Inez will need to check me before long. If it wasn't for your Pip-Boy reactivating me, there could have been further damage to my operating systems."

"So that means you'll breakdown soon?" Doug asked from the musty couch he was sitting on and appreciating the repairs of his weapons. "That will suck if you fail during the fight."

"I will function long enough until Inez is safe." Asimov walked towards the window and looked out. "You all can sleep. I will stand guard."

"Sounds good to me." Chloe overheard their conversation. She laid down on an old mattress found in the corner. "Need to get to sleep so we can get an early start..."

Wayland came back up the stairs after making sure the fridge they barricaded with the door was secure. But before entering the room where everyone was, he spotted Joe and the faint light of his cigarette glowing in the dark.

"Hello, Joe, are you about to go to sleep?"

The Ghoul took one last drag before tossing the butt to the floor. "I want to have a talk with you..." he spoke softly and gestured him to follow.

The two entered a back room with a window to slightly light the place. Joe leaned against the wall with his right foot propped up and gave the Super Mutant a firm but concerned look that confused the big green guy.

"Listen, I saw you avoid shooting those Raiders back in that town before we came to Trader's Haven..." he began.

"I...I don't know what you mean..." Wayland defended.

Joe switched to his left foot. "Yes you do. You had a perfect shot to kill a few of them several times. But you corralled them like cattle." he gently pushed off the wall. "That is going to get you killed if you don't take the opportunity to kill them first..."

Wayland sighed heavily and looked at the floor. He couldn't bring himself to kill a person. "I have never killed any humans before. If I do...I'll be no different than most Super Mutants."

So that was the problem. Joe sighed a little and began to see his reasons for not taking the shots. "Look, I get idea, and I wish there was a lot more smooth skins that think like you. But the truth is, humans kill other humans for all kinds of reasons. And that means you need to fight back with everything you got! You want to be good to people? Then put _our_ people first, or they will die. And I know you don't want that..."

Wayland's faced dropped from Joe's words. "I...understand..." he spoke hesitantly. "I'll try harder next time to do it..."

Joe sighed, realizing he could have worded that all a little better. "For now, don't think about it. Just get some sleep and we'll deal with it when we face those Rust Devils." he began to leave the room.

"How many?" the Super Mutant suddenly spoke, the Ghoul turned his head to him. "How many people have you killed over the years?..."

Joe didn't say anything for a few long moments, the years of fighting running through his head before answering. "More than I can count. And unfortunately those memories are the ones I can't forget..."

Soon everyone was accounted for before going to sleep. Asimov still stood near the window, his red glowing visor had turned black. He set it to night vision mode so he could still keep watch without exposing their position.

"Are you really just gonna stand there the whole night?" Victoria asked as she settled in on her mat.

"I do not require sleep." Asimov plainly answered.

"Well, I know that..." the redhead chuckled for a moment. "But how will you...pass the time?"

"I run calculations and diagnostics on my systems. I will also run scenarios of our fight with the Rust Devils based on what we've been informed." he turned his head back to the outside. "But it's still not enough data to go on."

"You'll get plenty of data once we arrive." Louis yawned deeply and rested his head on the armrest of his couch. Cavall curled up beside him at the foot of it. "Either way this is gonna be a crazy battle."

Victoria huffed. "Isn't it always?..."

"Just promise you won't go off until we're ready. We all want to save Inez." the Vault dweller requested.

Asimov remained quiet for a moment. "I promise I will be here."

Sleep fell onto the group, Asimov kept his word and waited until morning. Every minute passing slowly as he ran scenarios over and over, anything to give them an advantage. The fight to come will push everyone to their limits. And they didn't even know the worse part of it yet.

March 22/2296

It was early as everyone woke, just like they planned. Joe stretched and gave his old bones some pops and cracks. Victoria yawned and quickly put her long red hair into a messy braid. Wayland yawned almost loudly enough to shake the room. Louis awoke to see Asimov still standing right were he was from last night. He truly hadn't move an inch at all like a statue.

"You all have awoken. Good." the Assaultron spoke.

"Couldn't keep you waiting forever..." Doug yawned before stuffing some dry biscuits in his mouth.

"So what's the plan when we get there?" Chloe asked them.

"Easy. We hang back and scout the place and wait for the right opportunity to strike." Louis spoke up. Everyone turned to him wondering how he could be so casual at a time like this.

"Louis, it's really not gonna be that easy. You know that..." Victoria crossed her arms at him.

"Hey, what else can we do before attacking?" he shrugged.

"How are you seriously not dead by now?..." Joe huffed.

"I'm ready to fight." Wayland threw on his minigun pack. "No matter what it takes..."

Asimov nodded in agreement. "Once again I must thank you all for doing this, despite the risks. Inez will be grateful for this."

Louis then loaded his AN-94 rifle. "If nobody stands up to people like them, then nothing will change."

Once on the first floor, Wayland moved the refrigerator that was barricading the door aside. They were greeted by the warm sun and aired smell of various things and continued on the right path to the fort.

()()()()()()()()()()()()

A loud clanging stirred Inez from her sleep. It started again as she slowly opened her eyes and looked up to see Spark hanging off the bars and rattling them. The thin man grinned widely.

"Wakey, wakey! Time to fixey!" he laughed.

Inez slowly sat up, her face a blank stare. "You should be the one in here. You would look like a monkey in a zoo."

"Ooh! Still feisty! I like feisty, my south of the border yummyness!"

Inez took offense to that deeply. "Fuck you!"

Spark showed his dirty teeth. "Hmm, tempting, but we'll have to do that later! Right now, time for you to get to work!" he leaped off and unlocked the cell door. "And just to remind you, if you try anything I don't like, I'll burn that town of yours down. And maybe the next one over for fun!..."

Inez stood up as the cell door was opened. She considered making a dash for it, but odds were there was some Rust Devils waiting. She was lead back into the hangar section where the Sentry Bots waited since the other day. Spark took her to the long table where a variety of tools were loosely scattered on top of it.

"I still don't understand the extent of the damage to these Sentry Bots." Inez turned her head to the mechs. "From what I can see, they look fine on the outside."

Spark smiled and placed something down on the table. It was an old holotape player, he pulled out a holotape from his pouch and inserted it. "This should explain things better than I could. Just listen..." he hit the play button.

The reels in the holotape slowly turned with the crackle of static for a few moments until a voice came from the speaker.

" _This is General...well, I suppose that doesn't matter anymore. The worst we have feared has come. We are at war. Nuclear war. Even now I can hear explosions in the distance, the ground rumbling like an earthquake. And the sky is getting brighter by the minute. All the soldiers here have either fled or killing each other for whatever they can get. I was in charge of this fort. It was the test site of these new Sentry Bot models. But clearly that's not gonna happen now. I don't know if humanity will survive this, but if we do it will be hell on earth. A world of endless bloodshed and struggle for survival in a radiation filled nightmare. Before I leave this base I'm gonna sabotage these robots so nobody can use them. The design is so simple a child could remotely control them. I know it seems pointless, like a drop in the ocean, but if these robots never hurt a single person then it will be enough for me. I can't take them apart, there's not enough time, I'll just have to open them up and do what I can. So please, whoever hears this, don't let these things reactivate. Please don't let the sins of our-"_

Spark mashed the stop button and pulled the holotape out. "Booorrrinnggg! I mean, talk about a buzzkill, am I right?!" he tossed it into a nearby bin.

"You should listen to his words, these things are nothing but trouble..." Inez frowned at him.

"And here we go again with this..." Spark groaned deeply and leaned back in his seat. "Talk about beating a dead Brahmin..."

"If the person on the holotape damaged those Sentry Bots beyond repair, then there's nothing even I can do!" Inez tried to change the subject.

Spark spun around on his seat and placed both elbows on the table and supported his chin with his hands. "Now don't say things like that!" he giggled. "I don't know what I would do if those things aren't working again! I get very _emotional_ when things don't go the way I want. So enough chit chat! Let's get to work! And when I mean by _'we'_ , I mean-"

"I get it, asshole!" Inez slammed her palms on the table, shaking all the tools.

She spotted her tool belt and took it, she was glad to see that none of them were taken and put it on. She marched up to the first one on the right. The ten Sentry Bots were perfectly lined in rows of five across and two down. There was a stepladder nearby, Inez grabbed it and opened the legs while going behind the first one she chose. The back panel of Sentry Bots was the quickest way to get inside them, it was meant for quick maintenance and routine checkups.

Inez climbed up the stepladder, grabbed the thick bar and lifted the heavy back panel and locked it in place. The inside was a forest of wires, components, gears, and other parts well known to her. Upon first look, she easily saw that the insides have been intentionally damaged. Many of the wires were ripped and cut, components dislocated, and the parts housing the power core at the bottom suffered from what look like blunt damage.

She had only worked on a business security model once a few years ago. And it was mostly scrap that she took apart to sell the pieces off. And these new Sentry Bots were far more advanced as she thought they would be. Inez's glanced back to the Rust Devil leader, his eyes never left her since she started. Once these things were fixed, there's no telling what he'll do with them. Inez decided there and now that she needed to make sure they never turn back on, she had more then enough experience to make them self-destruct and take the entire hangar down with them. Even if she had to sacrifice her life in the process.

()()()()()()()()()()()()()

The fort finally came into view for the group. It took a little longer than planned to reach it because they were attacked by three radscorpions on the way that was a tad difficult to take down because of its harder chitin. They stopped to hide in an old building to start getting a lay of the land. There was almost nothing around the fort other than the barbed wire fence and the road connecting to the entrance.

"So has anyone infiltrated a military fort before?" Doug asked the group.

"I did once a year or so back." Chloe raised her hand up for a second. "But it was completely empty and wasn't full of these dipshit Rust Devils..."

"We would have gotten here sooner if _someone_ didn't insist on cooking and eating a radscorpion." Joe pointed out. He turned around to Wayland, who was eating the cooked claw.

He took another big bite out of it and chewed noisily. Everyone else turned to him, giving the look that showed he was being too loud. "Hmm, what?..." he asked, a bit of whitish meat falling from his mouth.

Louis pulled out his binoculars and scanned the area and spotted a number of Rust Devils and some robots wandering the grounds aimlessly and unorganized. "Hmm. These people are all over the place. If it wasn't for that fence they would be easy targets for an ambush."

"Except we're only a handful." Victoria stated before sighing. "There's gotta be a way in without being spotted. And we don't know where Inez is."

Asimov was using his long range scans to try and pick up her biometrics. "I can't pinpoint Inez from this distance. But I calculated she is being held in the hangar behind the main building..." he pointed to it.

"All we need is one opening to get in." Joe said while finishing his cigarette and flicked it. "I've fought countless Raiders over the years, and I hate Raiders with themes. And if there's one thing I know about Raiders, it's they fall apart very fast when the leader dies."

"If we can even spot who it is. I doubt the bastard came with the Rust Devils that attacked the town." Louis checked the area again with his binoculars. He suddenly stopped moving his head around after spotting something. "Hello...looks like we have an opportunity here..."

Everyone else turned to him for a moment before turning their heads to the sounds of footsteps. Loud and heavy footsteps of people wearing metal armor.

"Why do we have to go scavenge for food?" a gruff male voice asked.

"Because we're hungry, and it might be best to stay away from Spark for a bit. He could throw a temper any moment." another male voice spoke.

"I say we just leave." this time a woman's voice spoke. "Spark is completely out of his mind. We were better off before joining the Rust Devils. This damn metal armor chafes all over me..."

The Rust Devils coming right towards their position.

"Hide!" Doug whispered loudly.

The group scattered all over the place, hiding behind rubble and rusted cars. The three Rust Devils came marching through their area moments later, still complaining and arguing with each other. Louis peaked his head up from the crumbled wall and signaled to Chloe and Doug. The two saw his gesture and picked up what he wanted them to do and started to move out from behind the old car.

In moments, the three were only a few feet behind them, but a single sound could give them away if they weren't careful. But Doug's boot kicked up a rock that was a lot larger than it looked under the dirt. The pebble skittered across the ground as if it was almost pond skipping, the Rust Devils stopped and looked for the source of the sound.

Wayland was watching from his hiding spot ahead and quickly leaped out to distract the Rust Devils. He slammed his feet into the ground and bellowed with all his might.

"I am a Super Mutant! I'll make you all into gore bags!" he screamed and banged his chest.

The Rust Devils started to freak out and reach for their weapons. The three behind them sprang into action, Doug and Chloe were able to tackle their targets to the ground as the last one turned around just in time for Louis to crash into him. The two slammed to the ground and rolled. His fist collided into the Rust Devil's face, but the bastard wore a Eyebot body as a helmet that protected his face. Louis' fist exploded with pain upon impact, but at least the inside of the face cover hit the man's face.

Doug rolled on top of the Rust Devil he fought and grabbed his shoulder straps and lifted his upper body up before slamming him back into the ground over and over. Chloe snaked her way behind the woman and put her in a choke hold. She flailed around trying to breath, but darkness soon took her into deep sleep.

Louis finally pulled the Eyebot helmet off the Rust Devil and smashed his forehead into the man's nose. A loud crunch rang as the Vault dweller butted him again in the forehead, more blood being drawn. Finally after one more blow to the forehead the Rust Devil was knocked out cold.

Louis rolled off him and held his bruised knuckles. "Holy fuck! Who the hell wears a robot as a helmet?! My fist is killing me!" he tried to rub the pain away.

"Who punches a guy with something like that on?" Doug huffed in annoyance, catch his breath from the scuffle.

The rest of the wanderers came out from their hiding spots, Louis, Doug, and Chloe started dragging the Rust Devils into the shaded area to come up with the next part of the plan.

"You know, if it wasn't for Wayland, you three would have probably been screwed..." Joe said to them. "Why didn't you all just shoot them?"

Louis kneeled down and picked up the eyebot helmet. "Because for starters..." he looked it over, the antennas were broken off and almost completely hollowed out with some padding placed in. "I didn't want us to get blood on these suits."

"Oh, god, you're not thinking..." Chloe began to say.

"Yes. We're gonna dress as them and sneak inside." Louis tried the helmet on for a moment.

"But what if they realize you're not one of them?" Joe asked.

"I hate to say it, but Louis might have a point." Doug started stripping the Rust Devil he knocked out. "We can at least track down Inez and get a better idea on how to bust her out."

"And let's wake these assholes up." Chloe grabbed the woman's collar. "Let's make them talk..."

The three Rust Devils were stripped down their underwear and dragged into the building with the collapsed wall. Their wrists were bound to a exposed pipe lined inside a crumbling wall with some rope. The three looked over the Rust Devil armor before hesitantly putting them on. They stripped to their underclothes and fitted the mismatched robot pieces on to make them comfortable enough to tolerate. Doug wrapped the lower part of his face with the scarf and placed on a capped helmet made from the faceplate of a business model Sentry Bot. Chloe's armor was a little more difficult to put on, there was, in her opinion, way too many shitty spikes on it in weird places.

Louis undid the latch of his Pip-Boy and sighed while looking at the screen for a moment. It was next to impossible to separate himself from the device since he and Doug started out. And of course it went without saying that the Pip-Boy was the only thing they had to lead them to the end of the signal. He finally put it away in the backpack along with his Vault jumpsuit and trench coat. Doug and Chloe also stuffed their clothes in and handed their weapons to the group to hold for a bit.

"So once we get you guys inside we'll get our weapons back." Louis began to explain the plan. "That is if we get spotted. Which I really hope isn't the case until we find Inez."

"We still need to find out what they want with her." Asimov stepped in. "There is a lot more going on here then anything I can process at the moment. She will want to put an end to their plans."

"Which is why we have these assholes to talk to..." Joe stood over the middle Rust Devil and kicked the man right in the stomach. "Shithead! Wake up! All of you!"

He swiftly kicked the other two as well. The Rust Devils snapped awake from the painful kicks and turned their eyes up at the wanderers.

"You fucking bastards! Untie us, now!" the one in the middle shouted and tried to free himself.

"You'll regret this! All of you!" the man on the left spoke next.

The woman spotted the Super Mutant standing with them. "Oh, fuck! That monster is with you people?!"

Asimov kneeled down in front of them, his visor starting to glow again. "I will only ask a few simple answers. And you will answer them. What have you all done to Inez? what do you want with her? Who is your leader? And what are your names so

these three can get into your base. Answer, now."

"We don't answer to robots! _You_ robots answer to people! So go screw yourself!" the middle one shouted.

Asimov responded by pinching his nose and squeezed it hard. "I only answer to Inez. Now talk before I squeeze more than your nose."

Joe tried his luck by putting the barrel of his combat shotgun to the other man's head. "Hey, pal, unless you want your brains all over the place, I suggest you tell us what we want to know."

"Go jump in a pool of radioactive sludge! You fucking burnbag!"

The Ghoul responded to that by smacking him on the head with the barrel. "Real charmer, aren't you?..."

Wayland watched them try to extract information from the Rust Devils, but it was clear to him they weren't going to talk. So the Super Mutant decided to take Joe's advice and put everyone's safety first and help get information out of the three.

He moved passed everyone, which earned him confused looks from the wanderers. The three Rust Devils instantly shut up after the lumbering green mutant towered over them and cast a terrifying shadow. Before they could say anything or react, Wayland reached down and grabbed the middle man by the leg and pulled him up. He cried out in pain as the ropes tying him to the pipe prevented Wayland from lifting him up any farther, but it felt like his leg was about to be ripped out from its socket.

"We're not playing around here! Tell us what we want to know or I'm gonna keep pulling until either your leg comes off, or your arms! Which will it be?!" he reached and grabbed the other leg. "Let's make it both legs! Start talking!"

The Rust Devil screamed and begged the Super Mutant to stop as his comrades voiced their complaints. Everyone else was about to try and stop him, but to their surprise Joe held his arm out to stop them from interfering with his work.

"Joe?! What the hell are you doing?" Doug asked in surprise.

"And Wayland, why are you acting like this?" Victoria was shocked by his sudden change in behavior.

"Yeah, we can't get any information out of them if you rip his limps off!" Louis pointed out.

"Don't worry, smooth skins. Wayland knows what he's doing." Joe said, still facing towards the Super Mutant.

The Rust Devil felt like his legs and arms would rip off any moment. So he finally caved in with a pained moan. "Alright! I'll tell you anything! Just get this monster to let me go!"

Satisfied, Wayland dropped the man and let him land hard on his ass. They gathered closely to hear what he had to say after the pain in his limbs faded.

"Okay...our leader's name is Spark. And he's a fucking ass psycho. He might be a bit on the skinny side, but he fights like a rabid Deathclaw. Especially if he's drunk or high on chems! Which is usually all the time..."

"Spark?..." Louis raised a brow. "What kind of stupid name is that?"

"He goes by it, idiots! In fact, he has us all go by some weird tech name because he wants us to 'embrace the technological way' or some stupid shit like that!" the other man said.

"Yeah! If he finds out you people aren't one of us, there will be no mercy!" the woman spat.

Chloe loaded a round into the rifle of the woman's weapon and pointed it at her head as a warning. "That's our problem. We've been in quite a few scrapes before. So a bunch of Raiders playing with robots won't be much of an issue."

"So stop wasting our time and tell us your names so we can go in already before I blow your brains all over the wall!" Doug said as he pumped a round into the man's worn out shotgun. "And where's the girl you guys kidnaped? Where's Inez?!"

The middle Rust Devil cleared his throat. "She's in the hangar, and that's all I'll say about her. I go by Gizmo. And the guy here is Plating. And this woman is Cunt Diver..."

"Go fuck yourself!" she shouted and feebly kicked his side. "I'm known as Wheel! No go get killed, you assholes."

"Thanks for being so cooperative." Louis rolled his eyes at them. "We'll come back for you when we're done. If we remember to."

"Hey! Come back here! Don't leave us like this! We could be attacked by wild animals!" the Rust Devils began to panic.

"Then keep your mouths shut so they don't hear you!" Louis replied with a chuckle.

The wanderers left the Rust Devils behind with their cursing slowly fading from their range of hearing. Soon the fort was within their sights. Louis, Chloe, and Doug checked themselves one more time to make sure they were enough presentable as Rust Devils. The Vault dweller put the Eyebot helmet on, the sliver openings of the grill like front was the only way for him to see out of it.

"This is so stupid, I can barely see anything..." he adjusted it a little better.

"Just please be careful, all of you." Victoria said to them, hiding her worry. "You'll be surrounded by the enemy."

"We will. Just wait for our signal." Chloe nodded to her. "And keep my plasma rifle safe."

"If things get out of hand, just run away and we'll think of another plan." Joe said, turning his head to the fort for a moment.

Cavall walked up beside Louis and whimpered in concern. He could sense something dangerous was about to happen.

Louis reached down and petted his head to calm him. "Don't worry, guys. They won't even know we're there..." he assured the group before they started marching for the gated fence.

It was up to them to find Inez in the hangar and get out while uncovering what the Rust Devils wanted with her. Unfortunately the first part was still the hardest, they needed to get in without being found out.

()()()()()()()()

Inez sighed and wiped the sweat from her brow. She had just finished fixing the fifth Sentry Bot and closed its back hatch. Her plan to blow up the military robots had not gone the way she planned so far, she was constantly watched by Spark and a few other Rust Devils that were screwing around with their boss. It was possible to blow the machines up, but the parts she needed were on the table with all the other tools. And unlike Spark, his second in command known as Gears was near the table while fixing a device of his own.

It was a terminal that she had never seen before. It stood much larger than normal operating terminals, resembling the ones military command bases would use. Four screens hanged above it on swivels with a wide keypad and control sticks at both sides. At the base was a rolling pad and a long cable hooked up to a small generator.

Gears never stopped watching her since she started. Unlike his boss, he could tell she would do something the moment she had the chance. He even watched the things she used to fix the Sentry Bots, so her plan was already starting to go off the rails.

"And so I set him on fire! He ran around screaming longer than I thought!" Spark shouted with a roaring laughter, followed by the group of Rust Devils.

Inez scoffed in disgust. All Spark talked about the last few hours was the horrible things he and the Rust Devils have done. He was polishing the head of a police model Protectron, the police symbol was on the side of the glass cover head. At the far end of the room was a shelf filled with rare robot parts and other odd collectibles.

"Ah, nice and pretty again." Spark placed the head and rag down on the table. "But I would _so_ kill for a fully working Securitron! Or better yet, a Pip-Boy! That would be the centerpiece of my tech collection!" his twisted smile soon dropped. "But Vault dwellers are so hard to find and would never part with one."

The Rust Devils that abducted Inez went quiet, even Gears stopped his work on the terminal. One of them raised his hand up, he had oil painted on his forehead and around his eyes.

"Uh, boss, didn't you say Vault dwellers wear blue jumpsuits?..."

"Yes, that's right, they do..." Spark answered after coming back from placing the robot head back on the shelf. "Why?"

"Well, we actually saw one when we took that Inez chick." he rubbed the back of his head. "There was a Vault dweller looking guy with a trench coat in her shop. He had some people with him, even a Ghoul, a gigantic dog, and a Super Mutant if you can believe it!"

Like his namesake, Spark seemed to light up and soon stood in front of the man. "You saw a Vault dweller?! And you didn't tell me?! Did he have a Pip-Boy?!"

"Uh...no, I didn't see one of them around..."

Wait, what the hell are you talking about?" Spark blinked in confusion. "Them who? He should have had one around his wrist!"

"Around the wrist?..."

"Yes! Around the wrist! Pip-Boys go around the wrist!" he smacked his wrist as a demonstration.

"Around the wrist? You mean a Pip-Boy is a device?" he took a step back in fear.

"Yes! Of course it's a device!" Spark threw his head back in anguish. "What in the flying fuck did you think it was?!..."

"I..." he stammered. "I thought it was a boy..."

Spark blinked as his face went dumbfound. "I'm sorry, what?..."

"Well, when you told us about keeping an eye out for Pip-Boys, I thought it was some kind of peppy boy a Vault dweller keeps. Like a slave or something. I didn't hear you explain the full details of it, but you mentioned a Pip-Boy being some kind of helpful tool, I didn't know it was something Vault dwellers wore..."

The room was dead silent, Inez felt a cold chill go down her spine. Something bad was about to happen.

"So...let me see if I can understand this shit. _You_ thought a Pip-Boy was some kind of slave child that follows a Vault dweller around? And you have never bothered to just find out what one actually is?!" Spark's right eye twitched, it looked like he was about to go crazy. But instead he took a breath before starting to chuckle. "Wow! I mean, wow! I've heard some crazy things before, but I've never heard of someone thinking a Pip-Boy was a little kid! It's actually pretty funny!"

Spark laughed like wild, the tension faded and all the Rust Devils but Gears began to laugh. The leader walked up to the man, a tear from laughing too hard fell from his eye as he patted the man's armored shoulder.

"Oh, god! This is funny! I needed a good laugh!" he took a moment to catch his breath. "Tell me, what's your name again?"

The man stopped laughing for a moment. "It's Oilslick, sir."

"Well, Oilslick, we're gonna be laughing like this for quite a few days." Spark reached out to the table and grabbed an Assaultron blade. "All of us except you! You stupid motherfucker!"

Before anyone could react, the blade was plunged into the man's stomach. Blood sprayed out and painted the floor, Oilslick collapsed from the pain. Spark then sat on his stomach and drove the blade over and over into his chest, more blood flying all over the place and on him . The Rust Devil leader ignored his weakened pleas of mercy before going limp under him.

"You dumb motherfucking bitch! You guys had a Pip-Boy right under your noses and you didn't see it?! Now I may never get a chance to find one! Die, you fucking idiot! Your name is bloodslick now!"

Finally, Spark grew tired of stabbing. His face and upper body was dripping with blood, he tossed the blade aside and stood up and spit out some of the blood that landed in his mouth. "Gears! I am holding you responsible for this too! You knew I wanted one of those!" he pointed accusingly at him.

"Boss, there wasn't enough time to check him over and take Inez at the same time. It was more or less a blur." Gears firmly defended. Unlike the rest, he wasn't that afraid of his leader.

Spark howled in rage and picked up his bat. With a mighty swing he struck the table and sent tools flying. The rest of the Rust Devils stepped back to stay as clear as possible. "I don't care! You know how bad I want one! And that Vault dweller is probably long gone by now! Fuck me! Fuck this day! Fuck my life! Fuck everything!" his tantrum was like that of a spoiled child. The table was soon covered in dents by the time he was done.

Inez's body trembled, her knuckles were white from holding the rails of the stepladder. Spark tossed his bat onto the table and sighed, he figured any chances of finding the Vault dweller was long gone.

"I want all of you to go. All of you but Gears and a few stay here to keep your eyes on Inez. I'm gonna so get cleaned up." he spoke flatly and cold before turning to the young mechanic. "You can take a break. You're lucky to see a Vault dweller, I really wish I could meet one..." the Rust Devils didn't waste a second to leave.

He walked up the metal stairs leading to the second floor of walkways where his living room was. After he was out of sight, Inez slowly climbed down the stepladder and sat on the foot of it, still trembling slightly. After seeing just how insane the Rust Devil leader is, she was now reinvigorated to put a stop to his mad plans. She had made peace with what she had to do.

()()()()()()()()()()()

The three wanderers approached the side gate where small cars used to come and go. A Rust Devil sat in the booth, leaning back into his chair and drinking from an unlabeled bottle of booze. He looked sauced and a little red at the cheeks, hiccuping a belch before looking at the group.

"Here comes the first hurdle, guys." Louis whispered to them.

"Didn't you guys go out to hunt?..." the man slurred.

The Vault dweller cleared his throat and tried to disguise his voice. "Uh, we were. But we saw a few Deathclaws around and hightailed it back..."

The drunk belched loudly. "Shit. A Deathclaw tore up two of our bots a few months back..."

"Yeah, so open the gates before we get torn up!" Doug chimed in with his voice changed a little too.

"Whatever, hold on..." he fumbled with the controls and pushed the button sluggishly.

The old booth guardrail lifted up as the thick gates screeched open. They didn't waste a moment and came in, now they were in the Rust Devil's den. And there was only a few ways of escape, most of which weren't good for them.

"You're a real stand up guard." Chloe said to him disapprovingly.

The man just slouched back in his seat. "Blow me..."

Now they were in, surprisingly easier than expected. But it was only the beginning, surrounded by Rust Devils and their robots, one mistake would ruin everything before they could even find Inez and free her from the madness all around.

"No turning back now..." Louis said to them.


	20. INFILTRATION

**CHAPTER 20: INFILTRATION.**

" _At bottom, robotics is about us. It is the discipline of emulating our lives, of wondering how we work." -Rod Grupen._

The gate behind the group slammed shut and locked, signaling they couldn't leave now. The place was a mess of dry ground, dead shrubs and trees that once stood elegant and maintained as decoration for the fort. All around them was Rust Devils lazily going about their business. If they actually had anything to do. A few Protectrons and Mister Handy bots roamed the perimeter of the fence, they passed a slow moving Assaultron that looked like it was on the verge of breaking down. It turned its head to them for a few moments before moving on, to their relief.

"These Rust Devils really don't seem all that different from regular Raiders." Louis whispered to them.

"I've noticed." Doug nodded to him. "I don't know much about these types, but I expected a little more."

"People don't hear this often, but Raiders switch teams all the time." Chloe informed them. "A lot of Raiders usually group up, or merge with another. Some also join others if their old team suffers heavy losses. Loyalty amongst Raiders is a bad joke in the grand scope of it."

"That makes a ton of sense..." Louis shook his head.

"So it's possible these guys are just normal Raiders that joined." Doug looked to a group drinking near the hangar. "They seem really unenthusiastic about all the tech here."

"That might explain the reason they took Inez." the Vault dweller contemplated. "They don't have the technical knowledge and repair skills to do the work."

"But there's still some bots wandering around." Doug turned to the passing Mister Gutsy. "So some of these guys have to be the real deal."

"We should spread out to not draw attention." Chloe was now going into mission mode. "Find Inez, see what they're doing with her, and figure out a way to stop it."

"I'll head for the hangar to see if Inez is really in there." the Vault dweller volunteered before heading off.

"I'll see where their weapons and ammo are." Doug said next.

"And I'll see how they control their robots." Chloe nodded.

The three began their separate searches around the base, it was important to not loiter around or make eye contact for long in case some of the Rust Devils realize they weren't one of them.

Doug approached the back of the fort building and looked it over, a number of people hanged around at the entrance. One man had his back against the crack covered wall with a bottle of vodka in hand and looked on the verge of passing out. He entered the wide opening and spotted two more Assaultrons standing guard at the entrance sides and made sure to take note of them.

Music from an old radio filled Doug's ears, the sound was filled with static that came in and out. Some Rust Devils danced to the tune of prewar music while others sat around on salvaged couches and drinking heavily. A round table had a poker game going on with stacks of caps in the middle. Doug figured this place might be where the weapons were being stored, most likely in the back. He pressed on, even picked up an unopened beer from a working fridge and popped the cap while making an opening in his scarf to drink as he went down the east section.

()()()()()()()()

Chloe went around to the other side of the hangar to scout the grounds. She had only seen a few entrances, all guarded. She hoped Louis was having a better shot at getting in. It was then she saw something near the wall at the middle section of the hangar. A military tent that spanned around thirty feet across and fifteen feet wide. The faded green tent with countless patch works was made into a living space for more than a dozen or so Rust Devils. The inside had walled off flaps and messy cots for each room. Chloe searched in the back, but only found more messy cots and was about to turn away before hearing footsteps coming up from behind her.

Her heart began to beat, was she already found out? So many thoughts raced through her mind on what could happen until she received a very unexpected answer. A strong hand grabbed her rear and squeezed tightly.

"Hey, sexy, back so soon?..." a sultry woman's voice asked.

Chloe slowly turned her head, the bandanna and helmet covered most of her face from view. But she still needed to tread carefully and choose her words wisely. "Um, a few Deathclaws were in the area. So we came back..."

"Good, I was missing this firm ass of yours..." the woman with dark hair smirked and licked her lips. "Shall we...dive in?"

' _Now that name made sense.'_ Chloe thought to herself. "Uh, maybe another time. I got things to do..."

The Rust Devil frowned in confusion. "What? You never miss a chance for us to fool around!" she squeezed Chloe again, her back jerked in response. "Since when do you hate getting your ass squeezed?! Wait a damn minute! You're not-"

Chloe's elbow went flying and hit the woman right in the jaw and sent her reeling back in dizzying pain. The Synth then spun her around and wrapped her arm around the neck and placed a hand over her mouth so she couldn't scream. The two collapsed to the ground, the Rust Devil struggled and tried to call out as Chloe's hold only got tighter.

The voices of two other Rust Devils was heard just outside the tent, they talked and mostly argued with each other about meaningless things. The brown haired woman tried everything to alert them, to which Chloe locked her legs in place with hers and held on. The seconds slowly passed, the Rust Devil's struggle got weaker and sluggish, fear written across her face as everything started to go black.

"I'm sorry." Chloe whispered sympathetically. She had killed people before, but never in cold blood like this.

Finally, the woman went limp and passed on. Chloe cautiously moved her arms away in case she wasn't fully gone, the Rust Devils outside the tent finally left. She got up and dragged the woman to the messy cot, it was a good thing she killed without spilling blood. That way it wouldn't show the Rust Devils something was going on in the fort. With effort, Chloe curled the woman's body up as much as possible and stuffed her under the cot while pulling out the duffle bags from under it and used them to hide the body. She adjusted the blankets on the cot by making them hang over the sides for better coverage until she was sure the body wouldn't be found anytime soon.

No point in staying around. The tent had nothing to offer, so she left to check out the back of the hangar.

()()()()()()()()

Inez was slowly back at work on fixing the next Sentry Bot, sitting at the top of the stepladder with tools in hands, working methodically. The actions of Spark senselessly killing one of his own still rattled her. How he stabbed that man without a second thought just because they let a Pip-Boy get away. The body was still lying on the floor in a pool of his drying blood, the images of the stabbing and his screams wouldn't leave her mind.

Her train of thought were interrupted by the sounds of metal footsteps clanking down the stairs of the upper floor. Spark came down from his living area, most of the blood had been cleaned off, especially his face. But dry specks of blood was still on his armor, poorly wiped away.

"Hey! Why is that asshole still on the floor?!" Spark pointed to the corpse once known as Oilslick.

The few Rust Devils standing around looked to each other in confusion. "Uh...you didn't tell us to take care of him." one of them spoke.

"Idiots! Do I _have_ to tell you when to get rid of a body?!" Spark stomped his foot on the metal step. "Do you need me to tell you when to take a shit?! Or when to shoot someone?! Or when to drink and fuck?! You know what, scratch that, you don't need me for that! Now get his ass out of here before the body starts rotting! Or I'll kill you two and let the ones who know when to get rid of a body come and drag yours away!"

The two Rust Devils panicked and almost slammed into each other. They rushed to the body and grabbed the arms and legs and dragged him off with a trail of blood left behind.

Spark huffed deeply and reached the floor. "Honestly, sometimes I think I'm the only one who knows anything here..."

Gears rolled his eyes and scoffed, still keeping his focus on fixing the terminal system.

The Rust Devil leader came up to Inez and watched her work. She knew right away he was standing at the foot of the stepladder, smiling at her work, making a cold shiver go down her spine again. She ignored him and kept working, the sixth Sentry Bot was almost complete.

"You know, I'm sorry if I scared you earlier..." Spark suddenly said.

Inez gripped the wrench she held very tightly. All she needed was a clear shot to strike him.

"But it's hard to keep the rabble in check. Truth be told, Gears is one of the few I can count on here. The others are just...filler. I mean it's like they need someone to constantly hold their hands! I need geniuses on my team! Geniuses that work their magic on fixing these magnificent robots!" Spark curled his fingers dramatically.

Inez ignored him and came down from the stepladder. "I need to get some tools from the table. Or the floor." she shoved passed him.

She stood in front of the table picking out things, and mostly picking them up before Spark's hands crept onto her shoulders and held firmly.

"I was also talking about you, ya know..." the Rust Devil leader whispered into her ear. "You would look great in our armor. We can do so many things together."

The thought of wearing their armor made her want to hurl all over the place. She spun around on her heel to face him. "I will never join you people! I'm here to fix your bots and nothing more, you goddamned animal!"

"Now, Inez, who else will fix them?" Spark spoke with a tsk. "You honestly didn't think I would just let you leave, right?..."

"And you should know I will never stay!" Inez slammed her palm on the table.

The Rust Devil grinned and stepped back. He paced around in front of her before placing a hand on the burn scar at the side of his face. "Let me tell you how I got this burn. When I was a kid, I played with a toy my older brother found. And all of a sudden he grabbed me and got a blowtorch and burned the side of my face for what felt like hours. Even now I still remember the smell of my burning flesh and my screams."

"Oh, god! Where are you going with this?" Inez's face cringed in disgust.

"The point is I never hesitate to punish those who disappoint me. If anyone steps out of line, they will suffer how I see fit!" his eye near the scar twitched. "In other words, you're one of us! No matter what!"

"That still doesn't explain the point of your brother burning you..."

Spark placed a few fingers to his chin. "Hmm. I guess it doesn't have much to do with my burn. No matter! You're stuck with us! Now get back to work! I want those Sentry Bots up and running by the end of the day!"

Spark walked off with a playful wave and back to his shelf of odd collections, leaving Inez alone at the table. She sighed and kneeled to pick up the tools scattered all over the place. As she grabbed a screwdriver, her eyes spotted a rectangular module and almost gasped. It was one of the pieces she needed to overload the Sentry Bot's system. With haste, she put it in the pocket of her jumpsuit and continued picking up tools along with more parts and stuffed them as best she could into the other pockets.

Inez casually stood back up and went back to the Sentry Bot before Gears noticed something was off. Once back up the stepladder and out of Gears' line of view, Inez slowly pulled out the module and started installing it in. If she fitted in just right, the module will cause the power regulation to cycle a feedback that would overload its core. But to do so the Sentry Bot would need to be on and activate its cool down. Yet another problem to deal with.

Louis entered the hangar through a side entrance. He felt it were best not to go through the front entrance in case some of the other Rust Devils figured him out. Once again he fixed his Eyebot helmet, it was starting to annoy him and there was an unpleasant smell he began to take notice. The Vault dweller looked around for a moment until the sound of a wrench cranking caught his ear and turned to the source. It took all his self control to not call out and run towards Inez. Now was the time to be cool and approach this one step at a time.

He quietly walked over and stood below Inez, she hadn't notice him and was deep in her work. Most of her upper body was inside the open back of the Sentry Bot.

"Psst. Psst! Hey, Inez!" Louis loudly whispered.

The mechanic stopped working and turned to him. A deadly scowl came across her face. "What the fuck do you want?"

"Not so loud!" Louis held his hands up. "It's me, Louis! The Vault guy!" he slowly lifted his helmet just enough to show his face.

Inez almost dropped her tools into the opening. "Louis?! What the hell are you doing here? Better yet, how did you get that armor?!" she could barely keep her voice above a whisper.

"It's not just me, Doug and Chloe are here too looking for ways to get you out." he pulled the helmet back down. "The rest are waiting for a signal to help you get away. I even reactivated Asimov before we came."

Tears pricked at the sides of Inez's eyes. "Asimov...is okay? They told me they destroyed him..."

"Not to worry. I used my Pip-Boy to reboot him. He's pretty much okay."

She wiped the tears away with her sleeve. "I don't know how I could ever repay you. But even so, I can't leave yet. They have me fixing these Sentry Bots. They're like no other models I've seen before."

Louis lifted his helmet again to get a better look at the unique models, and it shocked him deeply. The amount of weapons alone put military ones to shame. "What are these?! I've never seen these models, even in books!"

"They're some kind of new model that were made before the war. These are the only ten in existence. And they've never even been activated before. And the leader of these Rust Devils wants to use them."

Louis couldn't help but fell small and pitiful in their presence. Fighting a Sentry Bot was no small task, the one he and Doug fought was a military model on the verge of breaking down. And even that one had them against the ropes. "These things can't be activated. They will cause nothing but suffering."

Inez held up a new part. "I'm in the process of rigging this one to explode. But it needs to be activated and do its cool down sequence that will cause a feedback in its core. But this is the only one I could work on. The other five are ready and waiting, and they've been watching me almost none stop."

Louis sighed in his helmet. "Shit. Do you think this one's powerful enough to take the others with it?"

"Maybe. These models are more advanced than normal. I even had a look at the cores, if I had to guess, the yield would be like that of a mini nuke or two." she started going back to work.

"Hmm. That might be our only choice. We figured they were using you for something, but _this_ is more than I could have imagined."

"Believe me, I felt the same way." Inez started placing the regulator receiver in.

"I need to get in touch with everyone else. They have no idea what's-"

"Hey, you! What are you doing here?!" Gears suddenly appeared before them. "Why are you standing in front of the girl?!"

Louis quickly tried to think of an answer, but he worried that his voice could give him away.

"He's watching me, why else would he be here?" Inez answered for him. "Aren't you guys supposed to keep an eye on me?..."

Gears grumbled and turned away. "Don't get smart with me, girl. Spark can't watch you every minute of every day..."

The two waited until he was out of range so they could speak freely. "He's charming, huh?" Louis scoffed.

"This place is a den of maniacs, the last thing on my mind would be _charming._ " Inez replied.

"Obviously. And time is getting shorter with each passing minute." Louis crossed his arms and tried to think of an escape. "I may have underestimated the situation. I've put everyone in danger like an idiot."

"Don't be so hard on yourself. I was willing to sacrifice myself before you came." Inez's tone changed to more confident. "If you can get in, then we can get out. We just need the right moment."

"I just hope Chloe and Doug are doing better then me. They're scouting the grounds as we speak..."

()()()()()()()()()()

Doug watched three Rust Devils leave a large room in the middle of the hall that was once a barracks for the fort soldiers. They switched out their guns for new ones and some ammo. He figured that was the armory and went to take a look as soon as the others were gone. With caution he came up to the door and grabbed the metal latch and turned to open. Slowly he stepped in cautiously, figuring there might be other Rust Devils inside. But no one was inside except for the wall of firearms and old wooden tables of ammo and grenades on them.

Doug looked over the room that was more cramped then he thought. His eyes fell on the back end and found the riot gear laying on the table. The strange device that knocked them out sat on the table in an almost mocking manner that annoyed him to no end. Doug placed the old shotgun he took on the table and picked up a better and sleeker one with a clip for the ammo. Yet he desired to have his handy sawed-off back soon.

Doug turned his attention back to the riot gear weapons on the table and placed his beer bottle down and picked up the grenade launcher with a sleeve of smoke grenades lying next to it. He cracked it open and started loading the black cylinders into the openings one at a time, figuring they could use it.

"What are you doing in here?!"

Doug jerked from a booming voice and the door slamming shut, he almost dropped the grenade launcher to the floor. Before the Rust Devil could say anything else, he turned around to face the tall man in rubber tubing armor coming up to him. The back of Doug's waist bumped into the table and caused everything on it to shake ominously.

"Uh, what aren't I doing, right?" he tried to act casual and placed a hand on the table. The man frowned in response. "That is...I was just getting a better shotgun! That's it, I need a better one than this old pump action." he held the weapon up.

"This isn't a fucking Super-Duper Mart. You can't just come in here and take what you want!" the Rust Devil went to the table. "I have to keep track of every fucking gun and bullet, and I now have to catalog every type of grenade and explosives in those crates!" he picked up a clipboard and pointed to the carry crates. "That asshole Spark is starting to piss me off! I've lost days of sleep writing down inventory!"

"Uhh...I'll leave you to it..." Doug slowly backed away to escape.

"Hold on! Don't leave your damn beer bottle!" the man pointed to it with his pen. "I got enough shit to pick up."

Doug sighed and went back to the table and reached out for the bottle that only had a mouthful left.

"Wait a second..." the Rust Devil spoke suspiciously. Doug froze in place and cringed. "Aren't you the one that goes by Plating? Because your armor is layered in metal plating?"

"Uh, yeah, I guess so." Doug looked at his armor while thinking something bad was about to happen. "Why you ask?"

"You have a beer. And a lot of us know you hate drinking beer." the man placed the clipboard on the table. "You guzzle down vodka all the time! What's going on?!"

Doug's eyes darted around. There was nothing he could say to get out of this. "Well...you see...the thing is..."

His hand wrapped around the neck of the bottle and tossed it in one swift motion. The bottle shattered against the armor of his raised arms, shards and droplets of beer went everywhere. Doug quickly tackled the man around the waist, the two went flying to the floor and hit the legs of a table. Several bullets fell off as they tossed around and traded blows. Doug was kicked off and hit the concrete on his side before the man stood up and started running for the table to grab a gun. But Doug stopped him by grabbing his ankle and sent him falling, the side of the man's head slammed into the table end.

The Rust Devil cried out before landing on the floor. Doug tried to scrabble up to finish him, but all he received was a boot to the chest and flew right onto his back again. The man got up and grabbed a machete and turned to Doug with a grin. Doug started crawling back as the blade stabbed the floor over and over until he reached the other table and went under it. The Rust Devil leaned down to stab at him as Doug grabbed the back legs and flipped the table over.

Everything on it came falling to the floor, including the four crates of grenades and explosives. The Rust Devil cursed and yelled while trying to get over it. Doug got his payback by kicking the underside and sent the table scraping across the floor and tripping the man yet again. He fell onto his side with both legs hanging over the end. Doug got up and leaped over to grab the grenade launcher on the floor and made a break for it. But no sooner had he picked it up the Rust Devil rose again and leaped over. Doug reached down and grabbed the first thing he could and threw it dead center into the man's nose and mouth. The pain made him fall to his knees with a few teeth falling out.

Doug didn't realize it, but the thing he threw was a grenade. And when it hit the floor near the other explosives, the pin popped out. He staggered out the door and slammed it shut behind him before the man could stop him. Doug tried to make a run for it, but the fight left him more roughed up than he thought and slumped against the wall near the end of the hall, several meters away from the armory.

"Dammit! I hope that asshole gets blown up!" Doug hit the wall with his fist while trying to catch his breath.

"Hey, what's all that racket?!"

Doug's eyes went wide and turned his head to see three Rust Devils coming towards the armory door. And it didn't take long for them to spot him at end of the hallway while panting for air, which only raised suspicion.

"What happened in there?! It sounded like fighting!" one Rust Devil shouted towards him.

Doug reached for the shotgun and raised it towards them, confirming that he was an intruder. But before they retort with their own attacks, the timer on the live grenade went out.

The three Rust Devils were blind sided by a massive explosion that tore both the door and surrounding wall to pieces. They were dead in an instant with pieces of metal and concrete and body parts all over the hall, the shockwave of it left Doug on the floor with his ears ringing. He slowly stood up with a daze, the room around him spun as his hearing slowly came back. And the first thing he heard was more Rust Devils coming, all of them shouting in confusion from their leisurely day suddenly turning chaotic.

"What's going on?!"

"The armory blew up!"

"Get a fire extinguisher! See who was there!"

"Where's the goddamn firefighting Protectron?! Get it over here now!"

Doug dug into his ear with a finger. "Fuck! First my eardrums almost get blown out, and now the Rust Devils are on alert!" he left the hall to avoid being spotted. "I'll never hear the end of it from them! If I hear anything again!"

()()()()()()()()

Near the other end of the hangar, Chloe almost jumped out of her armor from the sudden noise of the explosion and turned around to see black smoke coming from the side of the fort with Rust Devils already on the scene. She started running towards the commotion, worried that one of her friends could be hurt or worse.

"What the hell is going on over there?!" the Synth asked herself.

()()()()()()()()

Inez and Louis felt the hangar shake for a moment, the lights hanging above slowly creaked back and forth. Spark and Gears took notice to it as well.

"Did you feel that?..." Inez quietly asked.

"I did. And I have a feeling things are about to get out of hand." Louis spoke with worry.

()()()()()()()()

"What the fuck are they doing?!" Joe shouted almost as loud as the explosion that rolled across the land.

"This better be apart of whatever plan it is to get Inez out..." Victoria watched the smoke rise.

Asimov kicked into gear, both figuratively and literally. His desire to save Inez pushed him into action. "There's no other choice. We must attack now, whether that's the signal or not."

Joe kept his eyes on the fort to watch the people. "Hold on, let's think this through before-"

Victoria tapped him on the shoulder to get his attention. "Joe, he's already gone." she pointed towards the Assaultron running ahead of them. "This is starting to become a theme amongst us..."

Wayland's fists clenched in anticipation. "In that case I'll help Asimov. I can get their attention!" the Super Mutant charged off before they could stop him. Not that they could.

"Sure! Everyone go off all half-cocked and half-ass!" Joe grumbled and slung the pack of weapons on. "Come on, Vic, let's go help them before they get killed!"

"What else is new?..." Victoria sighed while grabbing the other pack.

The two ran straight ahead with Cavall right at their side. The weapons in the packs bouncing around with each step.

Wayland loaded his AK-47 while running and raised it up to fire several shots into the air. A group of Rust Devils near the fence he was running towards heard the gunfire.

"Hey! I am a Super Mutant! I will rip your spines out and eat your ribs!" Wayland hollered and fired a few more rounds into the air.

The Rust Devils responded to his threats by shooting at him. More then half of the bullets passed through the small openings of the fence, enough to make Wayland hightail it as they pelted the ground. The Super Mutant moved as fast he could with the shots getting closer. He spotted a rusted out tank nearby and went behind it just in time. The crumbling metal of the tank was almost like paper from the bullets ripping into it. All Wayland could do for now was stay hidden until they let up on the attack.

Asimov used the distraction Wayland created by running towards the side entrance Louis, Doug and Chloe entered. Thanks to his human like hands, the modified Assaultron scaled the fence with ease. He reached the barb wire wrapped top and went over it, moving the coils aside with ease to get an opening. Asimov hanged off the other end for a moment to make sure the area was clear enough and leaped off. The Assaultron landed on his feet and one knee with a deep indent left in the dirt, a quick diagnostics was run to make sure there wasn't any damage to his joints before standing up and looking around.

His audio receivers detected snoring and turned to the man in the gate booth sleeping. Or to be more accurate, passed out. Considering he was leaning back in his seat with an empty bottle in hand.

Asimov marched over and looked to the controls to open the gate. As he flipped the switch, the man stirred awake, everything a swimming blur to his vision.

"What...the fuck...doing...bucket head?..." he slurred, the eyelids barely open.

Asimov raised his arm up, the laser gun folded out of his forearm and fired a beam into the man's chest that burned right through. He went limp and dropped the bottle that shattered on the concrete.

"Nothing to concern yourself with..." was his response to his drunken question.

The gate slid open just in time for Joe, Victoria and Cavall to enter. They stopped running and joined up with Asimov after he destroyed the controls to the gate.

"Here we go again..." Joe loaded a drum into his combat shotgun. "We're facing a fort filled with Raiders and robots. Last chance to turn back anyone?"

"What's the old saying? In for a penny, in for a pound?" Victoria asked to lighten the mood.

"This will be a difficult battle for all of us." Asimov unfurled his second laser gun in his other forearm. "But I won't leave until Inez is safe."

"One of them must have found Inez by now." the redhead said before Cavall turned and growled at the approaching threat.

A few Rust Devils noticed the intruders, all of them armed with robots following close behind.

"Time to do this! Give them hell!" Joe took aim and waited until they were in range.

Asimov raised both arms with the guns charging, now in full combat mode. "Just hold on for a little longer, Inez..."


	21. REACTIVATION

**CHAPTER 21: REACTIVATION.**

" _Personally, I'm not afraid of a robot uprising. The benefits far outweigh the threats." -Daniel H. Wilson._

The entire fort was on alert. Many struggled to put out the fire from the explosion while others outside kept the heat on Wayland as he stayed hidden behind the tank. Joe, Victoria, Cavall and Asimov were about to come face to face with nine Rust Devils and several robots following them.

"Get behind cover, now!" Joe yelled over the bangs from his combat shotgun.

Everyone retreated just as the armored Raiders started shooting at them. The bullets hit their trail or flew over their heads by inches. An overturned military truck came into view, the group quickly went behind it just as the shots reached them. The rusty bottom received an endless volley of bullets and lasers from the Rust Devils and their bots. Which consisted of two Assaultrons, two Mister Gutsy, and two Protectrons with the right arms modified into guns.

Joe switched to his hunting rifle for better range, yet the barrage kept him from returning fire. "Dammit! We're pinned down!"

"There's too many of them! They'll attack us from both sides!" Victoria said while notching an arrow.

Cavall's ears lowered with worry and whimpered in fear over the bullets pinging off the truck bottom.

Asimov poked his head out and looked at the Rust Devils coming closer to their position and did a scan to calculate a fight pattern to buy them time. "I want you all to stay here for the time being. I'm going to distract them!" his laser guns started charging.

"What are you planning?!" Joe asked with a raised brow.

"Anything I can do..." was his response before running out from hiding.

Asimov ignored their pleas to stop, his targeting systems highlighted the Rust Devils and their bots that took front row as the first line of defense. The Assaultron raised and crossed his arms for protection against the hail of bullets that struck his body. The bullets bounced and scraped off his armor plating, barely slowing his charge as the first target came within reach.

Asimov threw his fist back before sending it flying into the reinforced glass of the Protectron and grabbed a fistful of parts and crushed them into scrap. The Protectron surged with electricity and fired its gun arm off until the clip went empty. Asimov lifted the robot off the ground and spun around for momentum and tossed the Protectron into the Mister Gutsy. Both bots crushed by the impact and didn't get back up.

The next Protectron attacked him from behind, it fired a number of rounds into Asimov's back. He staggered from the impacts but refused to let that slow him down and turned to face the bot. A blade sprang out from the side of his left arm and ran it through the dome in one swift motion, which was then met with several shots of his laser gun on the right that burned through the bulky metal and shorted it out. Asimov removed the blade and gave his full attention to the Rust Devils.

Three of them with shotguns opened fire, Asimov crossed his arms again as the buckshot pelted him. More deep scrapes were left on his body before he pressed forward with his attack when their guns clicked empty. The first one was stabbed through the armor and chest by the blade. The man screamed as blood sprayed out from the wound and coughed up blood before going limp. Asimov then used the body as a shield just as the Rust Devils reloaded and fired away. More blood spilled onto the ground, the back armor was far weaker than the front and almost turned the body into mush. Asimov flung it off his blade and into the nearest Rust Devil, sending them to the ground.

The other Rust Devils and remaining bots used the opening to surround Asimov while firing. The Assaultron was pinned in place, bullets hitting him from almost every side as the last Mister Gutsy and two Assaultrons were coming in for the kill.

Joe and Victoria watched Asimov take the attacks head on, but they could easily see that even he wouldn't last long under that kind of damage.

"That does it! I'm going to help him!" Victoria stepped out with an arrow ready.

The redhead closed in on the Rust Devils, they had yet to take notice of her since they kept their focus on putting Asimov down. Victoria raised the bow and let the arrow fly, it soared quickly into the closest Raider and stabbed through the left shoulder blade. The scream grabbed everyone's attention and stopped their attack, Asimov had a small circle of bullets on the ground around him.

Joe took his turn and looked down the scope of his rifle. He lined the shot at a Rust Devil with light armor under the neck and squeezed the trigger. His aim was true, blood erupted from just below the neck and the man collapsed to the ground.

Asimov used the opening to go back on the attack. The last Mister Gutsy came in, its buzz saw struck into the left side of his chest and cut in a quarter of an inch in before Asimov grabbed the arm and crushed it with his hand. The buzz saw went dead, but the Mister Gutsy didn't stop fighting and used its prong to grab his neck while the arm with the plasma gun took aim at his head for maximum damage. Asimov swung his forearm and broke off the military bot's arm, freeing himself from the prong as the blast missed his head by inches. He grabbed both remaining arms and crushed them again near the weapons. Now that the military bot was literally disarmed, Asimov finished it off by raising his arm into the air and brought it down on the body and crushed it like a tin can. The Mister Gutsy went down with sparks going everywhere.

Asimov was about to assist Joe and Victoria in the fight, but the head of a sledgehammer knocked him right in the faceplate and sent him stumbling back. Asimov's vision calibrated back to normal just as the enemy Assaultron took another swing at him. The right hand was replaced by two sledgehammers welded together, and the left arm converted into a laser gun. The other Assaultron's right arm was a chainsaw, the other arm a refitted jackhammer.

Both Assaultrons closed in for the attack on both sides, Asimov barely managed to dodge out of the way. The one with the chainsaw arm lightly ripped against his right hip as the other one shot him in the back of the shoulder. Asimov sprang his blade out again and swung in retaliation, each slash making the enemy combatants back away. It then swung its sledgehammer arm and knocked the blade away, leaving Asimov open for another few blasts to the chest that left burn marks. Several warning alerts were flashing in Asimov's point of view, but he ignored them and closed in for the attack. The Assaultron fired again, hitting Asimov in the hip area with a burning mark. The enemy bot was about to shoot once more before Asimov's blade stabbed right through the barrel and into the body and cut out to the side, permanently destroying it with a shower of sparks.

But as Asimov put an end to the laser gun, the other Assaultron came in from behind and jabbed him many times in the lower back with the jackhammer weapon. More warning signs flashed, but Asimov ignored them again despite his programming. The desire to keep fighting pushed his mechanical abilities to the limit, all to save Inez.

Joe fired again and struck a Rust Devil in the side. He collapsed and clutched his bleeding wound, screaming and kicking. His comrades covered him by shooting back at the Ghoul in bursts. Joe went for cover behind an overturned Nuka-Cola machine, it baffled him that the Rust Devils left all kinds of junk laying around. Victoria ducked behind an old washing machine and dryer that sat side by side.

Cavall circled around the Rust Devils without them noticing, the hybrid spotted a lone enemy off to the side and closed in like a predator to prey. The beastly dog leaped and latched onto the man's neck and brought him down quickly while he was reloading. The man only lasted moments as Cavall's fangs ripped in with ease, blood staining the ground as the Rust Devil gave one last gargled scream.

Two Rust Devils heard the scream and spun around to see Cavall with his mouth covered in blood. They took aim and fired at the dog that dashed off before they could properly line a shot. Cavall proved to be too fast for them to get a hit despite his size.

Joe stood up from behind the Nuka-Cola machine and peered down the scope again. One Rust Devil woman had no armor around the stomach area and picked his target. His shot hit the mark as the Rust Devil collapsed, Joe gave her another shot that was a little higher above the first one. He placed one more into her stomach again and let her bleed out on the spot.

Victoria slung her bow and took out the 12.7mm. She fired off bursts to keep the Rust Devils from advancing too close. Asimov was still facing off against the Assaultrons and starting to lose the edge. The redhead tossed the empty clip aside and started loading a new clip as a single pop rang out. A sharp pain exploded at her right side and looked down to see blood seeping into her clothes from a bullet hole.

Her vision went blurry and dropped the gun before collapsing behind the old appliances as the pain finally registered and she let out a sharp cry.

Joe heard her scream and knew right away something was wrong and figured she was hurt. "Hold on, Vicky! I'm coming!" he shouted and ran out from hiding, keeping himself low and diving into her cover.

Victoria cursed herself for being shot so easily. Just placing a hand on the bloody opening made her shudder in pain. "Fuck. I can't believe I let that happen..." her face contorted in pain from each breath.

Joe searched his pockets. "I know, red, I've lived for over two hundred years and getting shot still sucks like hell." he pulled out a stimpak and inserted the needle near the wound.

The gauge went down and Victoria felt the warm sensation of her injury closing up, the bullet slowly popped out and clattered on the ground just as the medicine finished healing. The redhead sighed in relief as the pain faded. "Thanks, Joe..."

"Don't thank me yet..." Joe said before the sound of bullets being chambered was heard.

The two looked up to see three Rust Devils pointing their guns at them. "You people are fucked now!" the one in the middle chuckled.

"One thing that doesn't happen to me often," Joe groaned deeply. "Raiders getting the drop on me..."

"Do you guys need some help?" everyone looked to the voice of a female rust Devil approaching them.

Victoria and Joe had to contain their excitement upon seeing Chloe arrive just in time to help. She had the rifle cradled in her arms with a finger on the trigger, waiting for the right moment.

"Always need backup." one of them spoke.

"Good. Keep your weapons pointed at them in case they try something funny." Chloe gave the trigger a light squeeze, all she needed was them to lower their guard. "I'll bet the boss wants to see them, or whatever..."

"Yeah, he'll have our bots rip them to pieces! Limb from limb!" the other shouted joyfully.

Chloe gripped the automatic reloading rifle and swiftly raised it up. She only had mere seconds to take all three of them out, starting with the one on the right. She fired three shots into him, hitting around the chest and stomach. Then in that instance she turned to the middle one and placed two near the heart. Their rusted armor couldn't handle the rifle rounds at that close range. The final Rust Devil stood stunned by the sudden attack from the unknown impersonator, Chloe already had the rifle pointed at his head and pulled.

But the gun didn't fire, one of the shells was stuck in the ejection chamber. Chloe cursed and tried to dislodge the shell, which left her defenseless.

"You fucking traitor! Die!" the Rust Devil shouted.

Joe came to rescue by pulling out his revolver from the side holster and placed a round right under the man's jaw. The bullet came popping out from the top of his skull and collapsed over the washing machine.

"Idiot..." Joe spat.

"Thanks for the save." Chloe dropped the rifle since it was jammed. "I'd like to have my plasma rifle back. I feel so incomplete without it."

Victoria grabbed the stock and pulled it out and kindly handed it over to the merc. Chloe turned it on and let the power cycle while giving it a quick inspection to make sure it was okay.

"Do you want the rest?" the redhead asked.

"I'll just take the plasma cartridges for now." Chloe answered as she looked to where the other group of Rust Devils were. They still fired in bursts at the tank. "I take it Wayland is behind that thing?..."

"Yeah, long story..." Joe answered and stood up.

"The short answer is he's pinned down and can't get out." Victoria spoke. "We need to help before they decide to go out to him."

"Speaking of missing members, where's Doug? He should have showed up by now." Chloe looked around for him, her concern still on the black smoke coming from the side of the fort.

They didn't know at the moment, but Doug had left the inside through the way he came in. The other Rust Devils didn't suspect him of anything as he moved. They managed to put most of the fire out and started gathering all remaining guns and ammo to see what was left of their armaments laying around. He took in the view of the chaos, Rust Devils running around aimlessly and trying to figure out what to do since they are so horribly incompetent without someone leading them. Doug turned his view to a group far off, shooting through the fence at an old tank and it made him worry that some of his friends might be in trouble.

He started running towards the group, cradling the grenade launcher. At first he saw something bobbing around near the top of the tank before the Rust Devils started shooting at it. The bobbing thing went down and poked out to the other side a few moments later and received another volley of shots. Once he got halfway to the Rust Devils, the strange object soon became clear to him. It was the head of the sledgehammer, Wayland's sledgehammer to be precise. Doug figured he was trying to find an opening to get away. But the Rust Devils weren't giving the Super Mutant an inch to escape.

Doug looked down at the loaded launcher and smiled. If Wayland needed a chance to get a way, then a smokescreen would help with that. He got within several meters from them and took aim, a Rust Devil just happen to turn around and face him with a curious frown.

"Hey, asshole! Catch!" Doug shot one off.

It left a trail of smoke and smacked right into the man's chest and sent him falling to the ground. Soon the group was covered in a thick cloud of smoke, forcing them to flee.

Doug ran up to the fence and looked towards the bullet filled tank and cupped his hands around his mouth to shout. "Wayland! Get out of there! Get out while you can!"

The Super Mutant heard Doug's voice and poked his head out to the side. Once he got a look at the smoke, he didn't waste time questioning it and fled from his hiding spot. Wayland soon came around to the open gate and stepped in before slamming it close behind him and charged towards Joe and his group while Doug soon met up with them a minute later.

"Thank you, Doug!" Wayland beamed with joy. "I would have never gotten out from behind that tank!" he was about to give him a huge hug.

Doug quickly put his hands up to save himself from cracked ribs. "Hold on, big guy. The fighting has only begun. We can't let our guard down!"

"Oh, right..." Wayland chuckled bashfully.

Asimov stepped out of the chainsaw blade again and avoided the jackhammer followup. But then he was hit in the back by the one with the sledgehammer and stumbled forward. Asimov's vision blurred with static for a few moments before focusing again. The one with the chainsaw lunged forward, aiming right for his head with the chained blade spinning at full throttle. Asimov only had a split second to act, he moved sideways from the chainsaw and grabbed the arm. He gave it a twist, sparks shot from the joints as Asimov pulled it forward and right into the neck of the other Assaultron that was sneaking up on him. The chainsaw quickly cut through the metal, sparks flew everywhere before the decapitated head plopped to the ground. The body soon followed with a heavy thud, more sparks spewing out while it twitched around before going limp.

Asimov ripped the arm out of the Assaultron's socket and tossed it aside. The bot remained undaunted and speared the jackhammer towards him. Asimov went in for the final kill and grabbed the body of the weapon with one hand and brought his other fist down on the elbow. The pieces in the joint snapped, the arm hanged limp with the jackhammer still reciprocating. Asimov finally put the Assaultron down by shoving the jackhammer straight into its face. Sparks sprayed once more as the tip poked out from the back of the head, the bot collapsed and powered down.

The group approached Asimov moments after he won. Sparks surged off his body for a few moments, his systems trying to compensate from the damage. His body covered in dents and scratches, Inez was going to throw a fit upon seeing him. But Asimov would accept the complaints and worries as she fixed him.

"Hey, Asi, you still in one piece?" Joe asked. The damage to his body really stood out.

"My name is Asimov. And I am still in one piece. All 4,600 of them." he answered.

Victoria turned to the Rust Devils coming out from the smoke that had dissipated after the grenade ran out. "Hate to spoil the mood, but those people that were shooting at Wayland are coming for us!"

Doug quickly pointed the grenade launcher at them. "I'll lay down another smokescreen. Get ready to run when that happens."

Asimov moved in front of them. "That won't be necessary. I'll disperse them more efficiently." he kneeled down with his right knee pointed at them.

Everyone looked to each other in confusion for a moment. "Are you going to ask them to marry you?" Chloe raised a brow.

Doug lowered the launcher and sighed. "Why do we keep putting weird thoughts in each other's heads?"

"What's marry? Is that some kind of food?" Wayland wondered.

Asimov stayed in the kneeling position as his targeting computer aimed at the group. "You will see. I am literally full of surprises..."

The cap of Asimov's knee opened up. A pointed tip poked out from the housing and fired a few moments later. It was a missile around six inches long, it flew straight before the targeting chip made it turn upward and soon came down on the group of Rust Devils. The ordeal happened in moments, the wanderers once again stood stunned by the high explosion that either killed their enemies instantly or left them injured and fleeing for their lives.

"You have a fucking missile in your leg?!" Joe screamed echoed in the yard.

Asimov's kneecap closed and stood back up. "Both legs to be exact. The missiles are hard to come by. The weapon they go to is a missile launcher with a targeting computer."

"And I am backing the hell up from you in case the other one goes off!" Doug did just as he said.

"There is nothing to worry about. The explosives inside the missile are just as stable as C4. It won't explode unless it's armed to."

Joe handed Doug his fire axe to get his mind off it. "Don't worry about that right now, kid. We got to help Louis and Inez. So take your stuff."

Doug gave his axe a quick twirl before checking his sawed-off and Winchester. "By the way, where's Cavall?"

"He killed a guy and ran off. He could be anywhere now." Victoria looked around in case he was coming back.

"I'll go find him." Doug sighed and slung the handle of his axe over his shoulder. "The rest of you get to the hangar and get them. I'll make sure Cavall is safe. You know how it is with a boy and his dog..."

"Take cracks at Louis later. Just be safe." Joe gave a small wave before heading off.

Doug started searching by going to the far end of the fort, everyone else went straight for the hangar with Asimov putting himself in the lead. But the main event for them was waiting inside and only moments away from starting up.

()()()()()()()()()()()()

"Gears! Something's going on out there!" Spark stated the obvious. The sounds of gunfire and the recent explosion were closer to the hangar than the explosion of the armory from earlier.

"Yeah, something really crazy must be happening out there..." Gears spoke flatly.

The Rust Devil leader frowned and kicked over a small stool near him. "Dammit! We must be under attack!" his eyes darted towards the Sentry Bots, to which a grin came across his lips. "It must be those people of the settlement we took Inez from! And if they want her back so bad, they'll have to get through them!"

Spark jogged towards the terminal with Gears following close by. Louis and Inez overheard their conversation, the last thing they needed was the Sentry Bots activated. Inez quickly climbed down the ladder positioned behind the seventh one and dashed towards the two, she needed to buy time until Louis' group got in. The Vault dweller followed to keep character of watching her.

"Hold it! Hold everything! You guys cannot just activate them without running a system diagnostic!" Inez tried to reason with her arms waving.

"And I'm very good at programming terminals. So piss off, girl." Gears turn his head with a warning glare.

"He really is..." Spark smiled like a child about to get a gift. "And I cannot wait for these bots to be on! You only got six fixed so far, but I can forgive that. For now."

Gears typed away on the keyboard. The mobile terminal powered on, data scrolled across the screen while the hanging screens displayed different forms of data and system analysis. Louis knew there was no way to make them wait, so he reached for the rifle on his back slowly. He had to shoot them while their backs were turned. But just as he placed a hand on the handle, Spark turned around and looked to him.

"Hey! Go out there and help fight whoever's fucking around with us!"

Louis jerked his hand away. "Uh, boss, maybe I should stay here and keep an eye on things?" he spoke with his voice changed.

The second in command stopped typing and turned around. Louis' voice was strange and unfamiliar to him, unlike their leader, Gears always took time to familiarize each member. He approached Louis and looked him dead in the eyes through the slants of the Eyebot grill.

"I have something to say to you..." he paused for a few moments and cleared his throat. "Rust is red, but the devil is?..."

Louis felt like his stomach tighten. The last thing he would ever expect from them was a secret code. "Uh...red too?..."

"You're not one of us!"

The grill of the helmet smacked right into Gears' face and sent him stumbling back with a bloody nose. Inez jumped at Spark and landed a blow to his face. Louis pulled off the helmet from his head, finally happy to be done with it. He gripped the opening and swung at Gears to keep him away from the terminal. Inez socked Spark again in the jaw, chipping a tooth at the back of his mouth. She tried to get another punch in before his fist met her stomach and made her double over in pain. He grabbed her arm and pulled Inez towards his body and wrapped an arm around her neck and pulled a knife out from his back sheath.

"Hey, asshole! Here's how this is gonna play out!" he put the blade to her neck. "If you don't back away, I'll cut her throat open! All the way to the bone!"

The two stopped their fight and backed away from each other. Louis tossed the helmet at Gears in spite, who just barely smacked it away and sent it clattering to the floor.

"You're not fooling me! You need her to fix the Sentry Bots! There's no one else that can!" Louis reached back and pulled the assault rifle forward. "Now let her go before I shoot!"

"Maybe she is, maybe she isn't! The point is we still got six of those bots working, and even one of them can do a shit ton of damage." Spark tighten his arm around her neck as she struggled. "And I would really hate to kill this hot number! I've always wanted to have some of that, what's it called? Latin passion?"

"Louis, don't listen to him! I'm the only one who can fix those machines! They can barely drive in a screw!" Inez cried out with a struggle. "You cannot let those things loose on the Wasteland!"

"You want to take that risk?!" Spark placed the side of the blade to her cheek. "There's plenty of mechanical engineers around! I'll just find them! So what's it gonna be? Gonna risk her life? Gonna shoot?! I'm actually curious to see what you'll do..."

Louis wanted to shove that knife down his throat more then anything. But no matter how dangerous the Sentry Bots were, he couldn't bring himself to let Inez die like this. So he undid the strap of the weapon and slowly placed it on the ground. "Alright. Just don't hurt her. I give up..."

"And here I thought you had balls..." Spark clicked his tongue. "Oh, well. Things are about to get entertaining anyway. Gears, get those bots running already!"

The second in command's fists curled in anger. He cursed under his breath and went back to the terminal before losing it and shooting his mouth off at Spark. The Rust Devil leader kept Inez facing Louis as a reminder and to taunt him just for kicks. Gears was moments away from reactivating the Sentry Bots, already they could hear the hum of machinery and electronics coming to life inside. Dust blew out from the vents, the bodies started to twitch and straighten up in perfect sync.

"Yes! Yes! I've waited for so long for this!" Spark cheered and whooped, waving the knife in the air. "I'm getting so fucking hard right now! They're alive! They're fucking alive!"

"Dios mio! Do you ever stop acting like a freak with a tech fetish?" Inez huffed in aggravation.

"Oh, you're one to talk..." Spark whispered into her ear. His hot breath made her skin crawl. "Tell me, did that Assaultron of yours come with... _extendable_ extensions?..."

"Why, you jealous if he does?" Louis sneered at him. "I have a feeling that codpiece isn't for show."

Spark's personality flipped from that remark. "And I will cut her throat open! Don't test me! Why are you even risking your life for her?! What's she to you?!"

"Boss! Hey boss!" a Rust Devil dashed up to them, panting heavily from being weighed down by his metal armor. He stopped a few meters away from them. "Those people have entered the hangar! They'll be-"

A gunshot ended his report. The body collapsed to the floor with a hole in the back under the neck. The wanderers soon approached, the barrel of Joe's rifle smoking as he loaded another round. In unison the group pointed their weapons towards Spark and Gears. Asimov took front and center, he lifted his right arm towards Spark as the laser barrel extended out.

"Let her go, now!" Asimov's voice became warped for a moment. "I can precisely target your head without harming Inez."

"Asimov! You're really here!" Inez beamed a bright smile.

"That's not possible! How can you be operating?!" Gears looked like he had seen a ghost upon seeing the military bot. He also eyed the people behind him and realized they were the ones from the shop they captured Inez from.

"Because you people are not as clever or powerful as you believe yourselves to be." Louis chortled at his shock. "And none of your flunkies can help you now!"

Outnumbered and outgunned, Gears contemplated on surrendering to them. Which wouldn't be a problem, following Spark has done nothing for the Rust Devils other then humoring a man with a sadistic mind. Things went down hill years ago ever since he took over for his brother.

But the terminal seemed to make up his mind for him. It automatically finished the rest of the data process, resulting in the Sentry Bots coming online. The loud hum drew everyone's attention to the machines, red light glowed from the visors of the six working ones. Blackness switched to visual, each bot did their routine scans and systems check. The targeting receptacles went over everyone they could see and stood by for orders.

Gears changed his mind and hopped back on the terminal to finish. He turned his eyes to the screen that showed their points of view, all of them were remotely linked to each other with the computer controlling them like a toy. Each member of the group was targeted and locked on, Gears was tempted to target Spark and Inez and be done with the lunatic.

"Hey, Gears! Did you target them yet?" the leader called to him.

"Targeted? Oh, shit..." Louis realized that could only mean one thing.

The bodies of the Sentry Bots turned towards the wanderers, their visors glowing in confirmation while waiting for the next commands.

Spark wrapped his other arm around Inez's body and held tight. "Let's go, little lady! I want us to have a higher view!" he forcibly started pulling her to the stair.

"Let me go, freak!" Inez fought against his hold. "Get out here! All of you! You can't fight those things!"

Gears smirked at her words. "You're damn right they can't..." his finger came down on the enter key, giving the Sentry Bots their order to kill.

The motors in the tri-legs rumbled with a creaky stutter before the Sentry Bots moved forward. Their jagged tracks tearing up the concrete floor, even their movements left destruction behind. Their right arms charged up with red glowing out of the triple barrels, the left arms lifted as the missiles inside started to arm.

Louis backed up towards his friends as the Sentry Bots homed in on them. "Run. Run now!" was his only words to them, to which they didn't argue.

One of the Sentry Bots aimed its left arm towards them.

()()()()()()()()()()

Doug stopped to catch his breath, looking for Cavall proved to be harder then he thought. He dropped two Rust Devils on the way to the back hangar. "Dammit, Cavall. Where are you?!"

A bark caught his attention, the dull white and dark brown dog ran up to him like a lost puppy finding his owner. Drying blood clung to his mouth and the fur around it, but he still had that innocent look of a family dog.

"There you are!" Doug kneeled to pet him. "Don't lick me, your mouth's covered in blood. Where were you? I've been looking all over the place?" he asked as if the dog would answer.

"Where's that damn dog?! It's killed six of us!" a Rust Devil's frantic voice screamed in the distance.

Doug's eyebrows raised to that of impressed, Cavall's big yellow eyes looked up to him. "Good boy!" he smiled in approval.

Their reunion was interrupted by a loud rumble, bits of concrete rolled down the hangar wall. The two quickly backed several feet away from the hangar wall and watched as cracks suddenly stretched all across it. Another rumble finally blew out the wall from the inside, dust billowed across the ground like a wave. Doug pulled out his sawed-off and aimed, Cavall's black ears perked down and growled at the commotion.

Several people came out from the dust, all but one coughing after getting a lung full of it. The green eyed man sighed in relief and lowered his weapon upon seeing his friends, yet the one they came for wasn't with them.

"Louis, what the fucking hell happened?!" Doug asked as they approached him.

The Vault dweller coughed one more time to clear his throat. "All kinds of shit. All kinds of horrible shit, Doug..."

"I can't believe those things barely missed us!" Victoria coughed, her red hair coated in dust.

"What happened in there? What blew that wall down?" he figured it must have been caused by whatever they kidnaped Inez for. Which sent a cold shiver down his spine.

His question came in the form of a loud rumble. The Sentry Bots came rolling out one by one and lined up symmetrically across. Their targeting trackers soon found them again with all their weapons armed and ready to go all out.

"This is what they kidnaped Inez for?!" Doug raised his sawed-off again. "I fucking hate Sentry Bots!"

Asimov's laser guns unfurled from his forearms. Even with the odds hopelessly against them, the Assaultron refused to stop now. Saving Inez was all that mattered to him, no matter the cost. So as the Sentry Bots started coming towards them, Asimov put his last resort in standby mode.


	22. MAVERICK SENTINELS

**CHAPTER 22: MAVERICK SENTINELS.**

" _You want to know what a robot's designed for. And if it's doing something outside the scope of what it's made to do, you should be very suspicious."-Daniel H. Wilson._

Two Sentry Bots aimed their triple laser guns, firing red streaks of three towards the wanderers that either flew over or burned holes into the ground. Nothing could be done but to run, the bots would have mowed them down on the spot. A missile landed a few meters away and showered dirt all over. The corner of the hangar came up, to which they picked up speed and went around. Now on the back end they only had moments to find something to hide behind before the Sentry Bots caught up. Fortune was on their side for the moment, stacks of military crates rested near the back discarded like trash.

Everyone dived behind it, amazingly not landing on each other. The ground rumbled, making the crates shake in their passing. But thankfully the bots didn't find them and kept moving ahead in search mode.

"Okay, Louis, in the quickest way possible, tell us what the fuck is going on?!" Doug asked with a heavy pant.

"I was planning to." Louis took a deep breath. "In short, those Sentry Bots are new models from before the Great War happened. And the Rust Devils took Inez to fix them. And now they are fixed and activated to blow our asses to pieces!"

Joe muttered in annoyance from another sin from the past. "The wonders of the world before never cease..."

"I still cannot believe those bots missed us. They had us cornered." Victoria spoke bewilderedly.

"I suspect their targeting computers need to be calibrated." Asimov spoke. "They have stood stationary for over two hundred years. Their gears and joints must not have been greased and oiled."

"So...silver lining, I guess?" Chloe shrugged.

"Possibly," Asimov poked his head out for a moment. "But their weapons are fully operational and just as deadly. And even if they break down from a lack of care, there's no telling how long that will take. Odds are they were built to last. Further more-"

Electricity suddenly sparked across his body, the Assaultron doubled over and almost collapsed. Louis tried to leap in to help, but Doug stopped him from getting a nasty shock. Asimov's systems calibrated again and ended the power surge before he crashed.

"What was that all about?!" Joe freaked out.

"I seem to have sustained more damage then previously scanned." Asimov answered casually, not fazed at all. "I will be fine for now."

"We need Inez to fix you as soon as she can. I don't think my Pip-Boy will save you this time. Speaking of which..." Louis turned to the Ghoul and held his hand out. "Joe, I'd like it back."

Joe grunted and opened the backpack and handed over the device and some of Louis' weapons like the AN-90 and Desert Eagle. The Vault dweller ripped off some of the armor pieces on his left arm being held together by leather underneath and snapped the Pip-Boy on. The device turned on with the Pip-Boy character giving a thumbs up on the screen.

"Glad to have this back. I felt so incomplete without it..." Louis smirked at the device.

"When you're done with your flashy Pip-Boy," Chloe held her plasma rifle tight in anticipation from the fight to come. "We should get back on track with taking out those Sentry Bots."

"Right, sorry." Louis nodded and began to think. A direct attack would only get them killed, that went without saying. The only option was to take out the source. "I know what to do! Those bots are being controlled by a terminal, we have to destroy it and they should shut down!"

Doug sighed harshly. "Again, you make things sound easier then they actually are..."

Wayland's eyes lifted for a moment and grabbed his quad-barrel missile launcher on his back. "Hey, maybe this could damage them!" he held it up with ease. "I only have ten missiles though..."

"Just wait until you have a close enough shot." Victoria said to him. "You can't afford to waste any of those missiles."

"Louis, are you sure that terminal can shut them down? It seems too simple." Doug asked, worried he might make a mistake about his plan.

"I saw that second in command guy activate them with it, so it has to be the only way to shut them down..." Louis made a small smirk. "And there is some better news. Inez messed with one of those bots to explode when it goes into cool down mode!"

"Which one is it?..." Joe asked, to which Louis didn't respond. His eyes just darted around. "You don't know, do you?..."

"What did you expect? I lost track when we were getting chased!" Louis defended with both hands up.

"Focus, everyone." Asimov sharply interjected. "Time is short and we're worse off than before. If Louis can shut the Sentry Bots down then he must hurry. We'll draw their attention while you go back."

"I'll give him a hand." Doug went beside the Vault dweller. "Someone has to make sure he doesn't die."

Two bangs made everyone jolt in alert. And before they could figure it out, two spear looking weapons burst through the old metal crates nearby like a harpoon catching a fish. The crates were pulled out and caused the stack to fall over. The group backed away and slunk against the wall as the crates landed at their feet. Two Sentry Bots reeled the crates to them, the chains came out from just above the tri-legs in front of the body. The other four soon lined up and locked on, their movements still jutting and stiff.

"Wayland! If you want to try that missile launcher, go ahead!" Joe frantically suggested.

The Super Mutant hoisted it onto his right shoulder and looked down the sights. The targeting sight took a moment to line up before pulling the trigger. The missile fired, the recoil barely felt by him, which helped steady the shot. It slammed into the closest Sentry Bot in the chest, erupting into a massive fireball that engulfed it. At first they rejoiced when the missile hit, but the smoke soon cleared and the only visible damage was a black scorch mark on its wide chest.

Wayland almost dropped the missile launcher from shock. Everyone else's jaws practically dangled as Asimov's scenario scans flashed all kinds of warnings from his point of view.

Joe swallowed his fear and held his hunting rifle tight. "Louis! Doug! If you two are going to do something then do it now!"

They snapped out of it and ran without another word. Everyone else headed in the opposite direction while firing off their guns to draw the Sentry Bots' attention, to which they sluggishly followed in a line without noticing the two.

()()()()()()()()

Bits of concrete chunks fell off the rebar around the hole. Sunlight pouring in with a thick cloud of dust slowly settling onto the floor. The Rust Devil leader cheered wildly at the destruction left in the Sentry Bots' wake.

"Wow! Did you guys see that shit?! Those motherfuckers are gonna be blown all over the place!" Spark cackled with his arm still tightly around Inez's neck.

"See it?! Those bots blew a damn hole in our fucking hangar wall!" Gears outstretched his arms towards it, his body trembled with anger. "How are we going to fix it?! This base is suppose to be secure! How can we be secure if those things tear down this fort!"

"Why the fuck are you acting like it's my fault?! Those bots missed them by a mile!"

Gears' hand went down his face and slammed his other fist on the terminal. "I told you before! Even if we could get them running again, they would probably need their targeting systems calibrated and their parts oiled! They could breakdown if they are strained too much!"

"Do you guys want to get a room and work this out?!" Inez cut in. "Because I'd rather be deaf then listen to you two argue like a bitter old couple!"

Spark pointed the knife to her face in response. "Keep talking, and I might do part of your suggestion!" he hissed through his teeth. "And don't talk to _me_ about arguing couples! The only time my parents weren't screaming at each other was when they were fucking! _Very_ angry fucking..."

Inez was glad she hadn't eaten anything in awhile, she would have puked on the spot. "Why...in God's name would you think I'd want to hear that?..."

Thankfully, the sound of thundering footsteps ended the argument between the three. More then two dozen Rust Devils and a few bots stormed into the hangar to find out what was going on in all the chaos and to mostly find someplace safe. All of them stood exhausted, some injured and some coughing from smoke inhalation when they put the fire out. The rest that weren't fighting scrounged up any weapons that didn't suffer the same destruction as the ones in the armory. But the guns they carried was in poor condition, and a fourth of their ammo destroyed or spent.

Spark looked down to his people with contempt. "And here are the idiots of the hour! You all couldn't handle a handful of fuckers, so I had to activate those Sentry Bots!"

Murmurs of complaint filled the room, either talking amongst themselves or quietly cursing their boss. Gears sighed and looked back to the terminal to take his mind off the rabble. The square screen had each bots' point of view in individual blocks with the last four still showing offline. The second in command watched the Sentry Bots chase the intruders, the black and white images getting closer by the second. But something was off, he didn't see the intruder that sneaked in earlier, along with the other person that wore their armor.

"Shit! Where are they?!" he placed his fingers back onto the keyboard and brought up the recording data to rewind and see if the missing intruders were killed already. "I shouldn't have taken my eyes off this screen!"

During that time, Louis and Doug returned to the crumbling hole and leaned against the wall. The black haired man slowly poked his head in through the opening to find the leader. His eyes were greeted by the horde of Rust Devils hanging around, making the task at hand impossible and the terminal out of reach.

"There's a bunch of Rust Devils and robots in there! It must be the rest of these assholes!" Doug quickly informed while pulling his head away.

Louis huffed to that. "Dammit! Can we get one break?!" he raised his Pip-Boy. "I can't plug this in with all of them a few feet away from the terminal!"

"And I'm guessing Inez is still held hostage by their leader. We need something to distract-" Doug's eyebrows raised with an idea and reached for the grenade launcher hanging from the strap. "I can distract them with this! There's still some shots left. You can run in while they're blinded."

"Doug, that's fucking awesome!" Louis pumped his fist to the lucky break. "They won't see me coming! And I can push the terminal out of the smoke because it's on wheels. Let's do this!"

Doug readied the weapon as Louis moved right into the opening, he only had one shot at this. He grabbed the plug under his Pip-Boy and reeled the cord out. With a deep breath, Doug spun around and pointed the launcher to the crowd and rapidly fired three shots. The cylinders flew with a trail of smoke, one landed in the middle of the Rust Devils, another thumped into a nearby Mr. Gutsy, and the last landed right into a man's groin. He collapsed with a howl of pain that was soon clouded by coughing.

The two watched as the smoke filled the place, some fired shots into the air, but for what reason no one could guess. Louis immediately ran as Doug pointed his finger and laughed at the Rust Devil that was hit in the crotch. Just before he reached the smoke, Louis took a deep breath and went in. The crowd scurried around in the confusion, coughing and tripping over each other. Smoke billowed upward to the catwalk, Spark and Inez coughed lightly and stepped away from the edge.

A smile spread across her face, followed by an amused chuckle that made the Rust Devil leader frown in annoyance.

"What the hell is so funny, bitch?!"

"Oh, I'm just laughing at the fact your plans are metaphorically and literally going up in smoke!" she answered before laughing again. "And I get the feeling your people are going to stab you in the back, considering the way you treat them!"

"They don't mean anything! With those Sentry Bots, I'll gather more followers! And if you want to keep living, you'll keep fixing them up!" Spark threaten as the smoke started getting thicker around them.

"You like to dream big, huh?" Inez decided to use the smoke to escape. "Too bad you didn't dream I would do this!"

The heel of her boot stomped into Spark's toes, he yelped and dropped the knife. Inez quickly elbowed him in the side, but his armor took most of the blow. She spun around and shoved Spark in the chest as hard as possible with open hands. The leader stumbled back and almost went over the rails of the catwalk as Inez didn't waste a second to flee.

"You fucking whore!" Spark straighten himself up and gave chase. "Get back here so I can knock your lights out!"

Louis started getting hazy from the smoke and a little lost. All he could count on was his memory of where he last saw the terminal. He suddenly slammed into someone, who bumped into something hard. Confusion ran through Louis' mind before seeing the faint glow of the terminal screen through the smoke. He also realized the person he bumped into was no other than the second in command.

"You again?!" Gears shouted before coughing.

The Vault dweller answered with a boot to his chest, Gears fell back and hit the body of the terminal and slid down it. Louis gave him a knee to the face and left him on the floor. He went to the terminal and placed both hands on the body and pushed. The wheels squeaked in protest, it was heaver then it looked, but soon he was out and greeted by fresh air that he gladly inhaled. The terminal was still connected by a thick cable to a humming generator nearby, so he could only get a few feet away without unplugging it.

He coughed a few times to clear his lungs. "Damn! I'm not doing that again." he held up the plug in his left hand. "Now where is it? Where's the port?" his eyes looked over the keyboard, control sticks, dials and switches on the surface. Time was not on his side, the smoke could clear any moment. Finally, he found a port at the bottom right and flipped the glass cover open and stuck it in. "At last! Now I'm in!"

Data scrolled over the screen of his Pip-Boy, allowing access to the terminal and giving him shortcuts to the commands. Three Rust Devils ran out from the smoke and spotted Louis as he was about to type. All of them started lifting their rifle, the Vault dweller drew his Desert Eagle in response, the Pip-Boy somehow detecting the situation. The V.A.T.S. activated and allowed his perception of the world slow down again. Each head was highlighted in blue with high probabilities of hitting their mark. In that instance Louis pulled the trigger, each bullet going right into the brainpan and out. The bodies collapsed as the gunshots stirred the other Rust Devils up into a panic.

Gears crawled out from the smoke, coughing up small puffs and seething with anger. His eyes narrowed towards Louis, who was back on the keyboard. Not wanting to give him that chance, Gears grabbed a rifle on the floor near the bodies and stood up. The Vault dweller saw Gears out the corner of his eye and flung himself behind the terminal just as he fired and hit the body of the machine. Electricity popped out from the holes and the screens flickered from the damage, a surge caused the plug of the Pip-Boy to eject and reel back into its dock. Louis checked the screen with worry, the greenish glow surged with data that he had never seen before.

"Aw, dammit! What happened?!" Louis gave the screen a couple of whacks. "It can't be corrupted!"

Ignoring the damage, Gears chased after Louis as he scurried to his feet and ran without looking back. The second in command cursed and yelled, all he needed was a clear shot to pelt him. Louis reached the stairs and ran, his boots stomping with each step until reaching the top.

"Stop running so I can shoot you!" Gears shouted.

At the top of the stairs was an empty oil drum with no lid. Acting on wit, Louis grabbed it and threw it over his head. The drum rolled and bounced down the stairs, causing Gears to turn around and flee, only to be smacked right in the back and knocked to the floor.

"Don't leave your shit all over the place, dumb fucks!" Louis flipped him mockingly.

He jogged on the catwalk at a steady pace, his eyes locked onto the screen again. The Pip-Boy kept scrolling strange data that made him worry more. He gave it another whack to get some form of response, but it still displayed nothing else.

"I can't believe this! After all this time, this is how it breaks?!"

"Louis! Over here!" Inez's voice called out to him.

The Vault dweller turned his head to her and closed in, putting his worry aside for a moment. "Inez! You got away!" the two stopped in front of each other.

"Yeah, but not for long! That asshole is like a monkey in a jungle." Inez took a moment to take a breath. "He chased after me and suddenly disappeared into the rafters!"

"We keep meeting very strange people..." Louis rolled his eyes.

Dropping from the rafters, Spark landed on his feet with a hard rattle. Something was strapped to his back, but Louis and Inez couldn't see it. He held an assault rifle with weird drawings etched all over the body. "You've caused a lot of problems, pal! But once you and your friends are dead, we're gonna hang your bodies on those Sentry Bots until they rot away!"

Louis stepped in front of Inez and reached for his Desert Eagle. "I've been wanting to bullet in you. Your sadistic, half-baked plot ends here!"

Spark just smirked at his insult. "In case you haven't realized, I'm already pointing a gun at you. So drop dead!" Spark aimed the gun straight at him and looped his finger around the trigger.

"Stop! Look at his left wrist!" Inez voice cut through to them.

Louis' shoulders tighten from her piercing shout. Spark's eyes looked to the bare arm and almost dropped his rifle. There on the intruder's wrist, the object of his affection that he had so longed for, a Pip-Boy only several feet away from his reach. He looked upon the device like a holy object of worship.

"I don't believe it! An actual fucking Pip-Boy!" Spark went absolutely ecstatic. "I've wanted one for so long!"

Louis drew his Desert Eagle while the Rust Devil was lost in admiration. "Inez, go!" he shouted and fired two rounds into Spark's chest.

The bullets left deep dents in his armor, but didn't pierce through. Spark fell sideways onto the rails with pain stinging his chest, but he ignored it and looked towards them. "One way or another, I'm getting that Pip-Boy!"

Louis and Inez ran to get far away from the insane leader. "So, Inez, what was that all about?" he asked, a finger digging in his right ear. "Because my ear is still ringing and I'm worried I won't hear out of it again."

"Sorry, I shouted because that weirdo likes to collect random tech, and a Pip-Boy just happens to be high on his list." Inez quickly explained as they went another direction.

"Is that a fact?..." Louis raised a brow with intrigue. The screen of the Pip-Boy suddenly focused and displayed a loading bar.

()()()()()()()

Back on the ground floor, Doug fired his Winchester into the fading smoke, the Rust Devils started pouring out not long after the smokescreen was laid down. He backed away from the hole as the last shell ejected and reached into his pocket for more ammo. Like second nature he had the rifle reloaded in moments, but ended up two rounds short. He just remembered all his rifle ammo was in a pouch on _his_ pants.

"Aw, shit..."

The Rust Devils charged with desires to rip him limb from limb, five dead bodies and a dented up Mister Gutsy were the only casualties Doug achieved from his potshots. His feet pounded the dirt, the Raiders poured out of the hole with little regard for each other's safety, the only thing that mattered was killing him. Doug figured staying in the opening would get him shot, so he decided to lap around the hangar and catch up with the others. It all now rested on Louis to stop the Sentry Bots.

()()()()()()()

Red beams flew, several missiles landed in random spots, spreading dirt and rocks all over. Wayland suddenly cried out, his left shoulder was nicked by a stray laser, leaving his greenish flesh sizzling with pain. The armor piece did nothing to protect him and the Super Mutant almost lost his balance before Asimov came in to help steady him.

They rounded the hangar again, now on the front side and began slowing down. Running was draining them fast and the bots would soon catch up. They haven't seen any other Rust Devils, which made them concerned that an ambush was in the works. Pressing on, they took refuge behind some scattered military vehicles and concrete roadblocks that was mostly rust or crumbling. The group took the time to rest and reload their dwindling ammunition, Chloe checked Wayland's shoulder while Asimov kept a lookout for the Sentry Bots that would be arriving any moment.

"We can't keep running." Victoria rested against a roadblock, wiping the sweat away from her brow.

"And their armor is too strong to punch through." Joe finished reloading his hunting rifle. "Louis better shut them off soon."

"I'm worried we haven't seen any Rust Devils for quite some time." Chloe couldn't do anything for Wayland's wound right now. "Our survival is getting slimmer by the minute."

"Just give Louis and Doug time." Wayland winched from the pain. "I know they can do it..."

Cavall's ears perked up and started to growl furiously. Soon, everyone heard the rumble of the Sentry Bots rolling in. The bots slowed to a stop and started scanning the rusted vehicles and concrete roadblocks in search of their targets. The scans suddenly picked up life signs and locked on to their hiding places. With a metal groan, the tripod legs locked in place and the small gun turrets housed in the legs pointed towards their location. Gunfire ended the silence, shells ejected from the sides of the joints into small piles at their tracks.

The group curled behind their cover as bullets chipped concrete and dented rusting metal. Their ears rang from the deafening noise, their hiding spots moments away from giving to the assault. But luck came through once more, the Sentry Bots stopped firing after expending hundreds of rounds. The AI systems changed tactics and spread apart from each other by several meters. Three bots slowly raised their right arms and unleashed torrents of triple lasers that burned through materials with ease. With their hiding place no longer strong enough to defend, they fled while staying low so they wouldn't be spotted right away. As they ran, a Sentry Bot at the far left suddenly shook and its visor flickered.

()()()()()()()

Louis and Inez came to a stop, the catwalk seemed to be an endless maze of twists and turns before they spotted a flight of stairs ahead.

"How the hell did we lose Spark again?" Louis kept his eyes up at the rafters. "You were right, he is like a monkey in the jungle..."

"Too bad circuses don't exist anymore. He'd fit right in..." Inez scoffed.

A sudden whoosh was heard above them, like something ignited. The two only had moments to look up and see Spark drop from the rafters with a flaming blade. Inez moved away, but Louis was his intended target. On reflex, the Vault dweller lifted his right arm in defense and received a burning slash. The armor did little to protect, a few plates were broken off as the blade cut into his arm. The combination of being slashed and burned intensified the pain immensely. Louis screamed, dropping his Desert Eagle and fell onto his back.

Spark cheered and waved his blade around in the air, droplets of flaming oil dripping off it. "Stings, doesn't it?!" the weapon he held was a jury-rigged invention known as a shishkebob. A blade with a tube connected to a tank with some form of liquid fuel. "I just love watching flesh burn! See my victims turn to ash! You gonna cry? Go ahead and cry, I won't judge! Okay, I'm totally gonna judge, bitch!"

Louis used his legs and good arm to crawl away. The searing pain just wouldn't dull, the cut ran across his forearm in a burnt red. Even a stimpak wouldn't make the scarring go away and the flesh was cauterized deeply. "You crazy bastard! I'll make the other side of your face match!"

"This burn scar on my face isn't related, cock licker!" Spark pointed to the right side of his face. "But here's a question, what's better than one shishkebob?" he reached back with his left hand and unsheathed another blade. "Two shishkebobs!" he flicked the brake lever that ignited it. "And now, I'm gonna hack off your arm to get that Pip-Boy. I know that's unnecessary because it has a latch, but I don't give a fuck!"

Louis rolled onto his feet, holding his burnt arm. "Inez! Go outside and join up with the others! Get out of here!"

"Are you crazy?! You're hurt, I'm not leaving you here!" she argued back.

"This is not up for debate! Go get Asimov and my friends and get out!" Louis turned around to run with Spark following.

"Where you going, buddy?!" Spark licked his lips, it's been a long time since he brandished his shishkebobs and intended to enjoy every second of it. "I want to see you on fire! You'll roast up nice and good!" he chased while whipping his blades around.

Inez gave up and turned towards the stairs and headed down, but not to get Asimov and the others to run. She was going to regroup and bring them back to help Louis and put down the Rust Devil leader.

()()()()()()

One after the other, if not by force, the group shoved themselves into the door of the fort. The same area Doug entered when he looked for Inez earlier. They wanted to make the fort their final battleground since running was doing nothing, and they figured the fort was strong enough to withstand the Sentry Bot's attacks. At least strong enough to last for awhile.

"Get ready!" Joe said to them. He bashed out the aged reinforced glass with his hunting rifle stock. "They'll be here soon!"

Asimov still weighed his self-destruct option. But getting the Sentry Bots close enough was next to impossible since they moved around so much. And there was no guarantee his core was powerful enough to cause a chain reaction when he detonated with them close together. His calculations on the odds of success were very low no matter how many times he ran them. The only other possible attack was getting behind them in their massive blind spots.

"How much longer do we have to hold out?" Chloe wondered and looked at her plasma rifle. "Even my plasma shots are barely melting their armor."

"And we're wasting bullets as it is." Victoria sighed from exhaustion. "You guys don't think something is wrong with Louis and Doug, do you?"

"Don't think like that." Joe spoke sharply. "They've been traveling before we all joined up. So they'll figure something out. I hope..."

Wayland loaded a new mag into his AK-47 and checked his remaining ammo pouches. He was down to only a few mags, not that it mattered since even his missiles didn't do anything. "Guys, I'm going to check around quickly for something useful. I'll be back in a moment." he informed the group.

"Be cautious." Asimov said, his ocular eyes still fixated on the outside.

The Super Mutant headed down the hall with haste in hopes of finding anything worthwhile. Soon, the Sentry Bots rolled up many meters from the fort building. Their actions suggested they lost track again and began searching. Not wanting to start exchanging fire right away, the group moved from the windows and stayed low and waited for the bots to lose interest and move on.

But while their concern was kept on the bots scouting around, they didn't notice the sound of footsteps coming around the corner from another hallway. Four Rust Devils came around with weapons in hand and duffle bags of supplies and ammo strapped over their shoulders.

"Hurry! We got to get out of here!" one of them spoke. They all wore armor made from rubber tubing and few slips of metal.

"We need more food before leaving!" the woman said as her eyes fell upon the intruders. "Oh, shit! It's them! The people that busted in here!" she pointed her handgun hastily.

The wanderers turned, pointing their weapons in return. A stalemate on both sides that could end in a fatal shootout.

"Seriously?! How many of you bastards are left?!" Victoria furrowed her brows.

"Drop your weapons or we'll shoot!" one with most of his teeth missing demanded. His skin looked like it was clinging to his skeleton, clearly a chem addict. "And throw those backpacks over! We can always use more stuff!"

Joe kept his hunting rifle aimed steadily. "If you idiots start shooting, those Sentry Bots will find us and blow this building down!"

"We'll be long gone before that happens." the one that seemed to be in the lead spoke. A tattoo of a screw on the side of his cheek. "Spark is out of control. He'll bring us all down with him. So we're hightailing it out of here before that happens with whatever we can carry!"

"Then go fuck off already! But you're not getting anything from us!" Chloe warned with her plasma rifle aimed at the addict.

()()()

Wayland huffed and closed the lid of a crate he opened up. There was nothing he could fine or use, no weapons or items at all. So he decided to rejoin the others and hold out with them.

"I will put one between your teeth, bitch!" a voice echoed from the halls, catching the Super Mutant's attention.

Cavall's barking was then heard, along with Asimov speaking next. "This is unnecessary. Leave now so you can live."

"Shut it, bucket head!" a female voice spat.

The Super Mutant grabbed his assault rifle and left the room he stood in. He walked with soft steps, which was surprising considering his size and weight. The arguments went back and forth between Wayland's friends and the Rust Devils as he reached the end of the hall that turned into the corner. His big hands gripped the assault rifle, almost breaking it like a cheap toy. This was the only way, if he didn't act his friends could be hurt or killed. But that would mean killing the Rust Devils, and he has never killed humans before.

More yelling shook him from his thoughts, it sounded like the situation was about to get out of control. So with one shaky hand, he gripped the rifle and looped a finger around the trigger. Wayland took a deep, his nerves rattled in anticipation, the kindhearted Super Mutant marched forward with heavy steps. The Rust Devils heard the thuds coming and turned to see the greenish brute charging from the darkness. Wayland grabbed the slide and pulled it back with a click that chambered a bullet.

Fear made the Rust Devils freeze upon seeing a Super Mutant up close in person. They fumbled with their weapons, not able to get a shot off in time. Wayland didn't hesitate, it would only mean his death if he did. So his finger squeezed and unleashed a storm of bullets. He swept his rifle to make sure each Rust Devils got their fair share of lead. Their tube armor did nothing to protect them as blood splattered on the walls nearby. The mag went empty with several clicks, Wayland's finger still held the trigger tight, the weapon shook with remorse. Like old sacks of sand, the Rust Devils collapsed to the floor all over each other, long dead before that.

The wanderers watched the whole thing unfold faster then they could realize. Wonder over who shot them was answered as Wayland came out from the hall. His eyes heavy with mixed feeling over the deed, the Super Mutant watched as blood pooled around the bodies.

Joe realized what was going on, Wayland had taken his advice on doing what needed to be done. Still, he couldn't help regret being a little harsh about it. "Hey, Wayland..."

The Super Mutant turned his head sharp, the regret fading fast. "We protect our own first, right?" he spoke.

Joe hummed in his throat and nodded. "That's right, we do."

"Uh, I'm sorry, but did we miss something?" Chloe wanted to know what was going on.

()()()

The Sentry Bots halted in their tracks, the audio receivers picked up the gunfire and turned back to the fort and moved towards it with haste.

()()()

Victoria saw the bots returning, weapons already raised and ready to fire. "They're coming! Get ready!"

Everyone moved on from the dead Rust Devils and took cover at the windows. Bits of concrete chipped from the ceiling, the Sentry Bots made the building shake as they got closer. Some cracks even formed on the walls, showing the fort's age to the ravages of time.

"This is where we make our stand!" Asimov pointed his arm out the window opening. "Just hold out a little longer!"

As the Sentry Bots got closer, spreading out in formation like their program dictated. But one suddenly stopped dead in its tracks as if it had shutdown by some unknown cause.

()()()()()()

Doug's sides burned with pain, a bullet had dug into his shoulder a few minutes ago. The Rust Devil mob getting closer by the second, and his legs felt like they weighed a ton. And it was only getting worse for him since he was unknowingly heading straight for the Sentry Bots as well.

()()()()()()

Another piece of Louis' armor broke off, the shoulder plate clattered onto the catwalk. He quickly patted out the fire before it burned through the layer of clothing.

"Why won't you die already?!" Spark shouted, swinging the blades of fire. "Who do you think you are?! Trying to be a hero?! Trying to make this shitty world better?! Or do you just want to get in bed with that girl? Because if you ask me, there's easier pussy out there!"

Spark dashed with both blades crossed and ready to swing outward. But Louis stood his ground with determination. As Spark got within inches of being in perfect range to lash out, Louis' Pip-Boy activated the V.A.T.S. again. The Rust Devil moved like a snail, the flames on the blades stretching like butter over bread. Louis' body ducked down just as the blades scissored outward, he shot both his hands up and grabbed Spark's arms by the elbows and held tight. The V.A.T.S. ended just as Louis stood fully back up, it may have been a long time to him, but Spark's mind was baffled by the inhuman speed and reflex that left him wide open.

Before he could try to free himself, Louis threw back his head and bashed Spark in the nose with a crunch. "You know why I'm doing this?!" another head bash to the teeth. "Why I'm helping someone I barely know?!" another shot to the chin. "Because it's the right thing to do, asshole! Someone has to do it!" the final head-butt went straight to Spark's forehead.

The world around them spun, but Spark was worse off as he crumbled to the catwalk floor, the blades slowly going out. Louis breathed heavily, pain stung in his skull but he was satisfied to see the man on the floor with blood dripping from his nose and mouth.

"Make friends with the catwalk. Because I'm about to put a few bullets in your head." Louis spat on him for extra measure.

But his victory was short lived, Spark quickly came to and leaned up. His eyes bloodshot with rage. "You think that's the first time I've had my face busted up?!" he spat a glob of blood and a tooth. "There's nothing you can do! Your friends are probably ashes by now!"

That sudden realization twisted his insides, he got so caught up in the fight that he completely forgot about them. His fists curled, teeth clenched tight. "Bastard, I'll make you suffer if they're hurt!" the Vault dweller reached out with his left fist to pick him up from the floor and punch his brains out.

A sharp beep drew his attention to the Pip-Boy on his wrist. The loading bar finally finished as a text rolled down the screen.

' _Uplink complete. Voice command active and compatible.'_

It said as the Vault Boy gave a chipper thumbs up. The blank screen flicked to a black and white image that looked like live security footage. It took Louis a moment to realize that the image came from outside and looking at the back of the Sentry Bots closing in on the fort. But he could only see five.

"What am I seeing? Where's this footage coming from?" Louis looked at the screen to figure it out. "How do I get out of this?"

Spark pulled himself back onto his feet. The flames of his blades extinguished and dragging on the floor. "Have you lost it? That thing better not be broken!"

"Back away before I shove those blades up your ass!" Louis warned with a finger pointed at him.

The Pip-Boy speaker picked up the command.

()()()

Outside, the still Sentry Bot suddenly activated and went backwards several feet before stopping.

()()()

Louis saw the movement on screen. It finally clicked, he wasn't seeing a security feed, he was seeing through the visor of one of the Sentry Bots. And the speaker acted as a voice command to control it. Plugging into the terminal somehow turned the military bot into a giant toy at his disposal and thus evening the playing field.

"As a matter of fact, there's nothing wrong with my Pip-Boy." Louis showed the screen to him. "I'm controlling one of your precious Sentry Bots! And I will use it to take you all down for good!"


	23. BOT DRIVER

**CHAPTER 23: BOT DRIVER.**

" _Once we no longer have the intellectual upper hand, then we quite literally, by definition, cannot outwit our successors. So unless we are absolutely sure that the machines we are building right now are not going to eventually become our new robot overlords, prudence is called for." -Robert J. Sawyer._

"You're lying," the good side of Spark's face sneered. "You cannot control those Sentry Bots with that Pip-Boy!"

Louis turned the screen towards him. "Then what do you call this?" he turned it back and raised the small mic just under the screen near his mouth. "Let's see...how about...spin upper body around ten times!"

()()()()()

The stationary Sentry Bot did as told. Its legs locked in place and spun its upper body around ten times before stopping.

()()()()()

"See?! Even you cannot deny it now!" Louis gave him a view of what was happening on screen.

Spark stepped back in terror. The unthinkable had happened, something he almost couldn't wrap his mind around, one of his own bots out of control. The Rust Devil leader was moments away from throwing a full on tantrum over his loss.

"Gears! Gears, where are you?!" he shouted down to the floor below with desperation. "Get your ass over here!"

With a pained groan, the second in command woke up and pushed himself off the cold floor. The throbbing pain in his head only got worse thanks to his leader's grating voice hitting his ears.

"There you are, Gears! This Vault dweller has control over one of my Sentry Bots! Get to the terminal and shut them down before that asshole turns it on us!"

Gears grinded his teeth and slammed a fist on the floor. That was the last straw, he had tolerated his leader's shit for too long. It was time for a change in leadership, Spark was simply an unfit psycho and played with weapons like toys. So he got back up and grabbed the assault rifle with a plot forming in his mind.

Spark pulled the blades back into his hands and curled two fingers over the brake levers. "You won't have control for long!" with a flick the blades lit back up. "Gears will shut them down while I hack your arms and legs off. But hey, thanks for activating that control thing on the Pip-Boy for me! It will come in real handy when I make it the centerpiece of my collection."

"Use it?" Louis scoffed. "You look like you have a hard time working a light switch."

"Who told you that?!" Spark screech and shot forward.

Louis could only take a step back as the blade struck his left side where the armor was weak. The fire burned the leather holding the metal plates together. More pieces around the stomach clattered to the floor, leaving only a few strips of leather dangling to the side. Another slash burned with pain through his body just like fire. The Vault dweller cried out and turned around to get away with a hand on his side. Even with control of a Sentry Bot, he still stood defenseless on his own while unarmed. He turned left on the forked catwalk, trying to get far enough while thinking of commands to use.

Several bullets hit the rails in front of him, creating little sparks against the old metal. Louis stopped dead and turned to the source. Standing on another section, Gears pointed the assault rifle right towards him.

"And my day just got better..." Louis sarcastically sighed.

"Good job, Gears!" Spark stormed down the catwalk near the turn. "Hold him in that spot. I'll chop his arm off and get that Pip-Boy!"

Gears didn't respond, instead he turned the rifle and fired a burst towards his leader. The bullets hit the rails near him with bright flashes that made the Rust Devil leader dance around in sudden terror for a moment.

"You got shit in your eyes, Gears?! The Vault dweller is over there!" he pointed with his flaming sword.

"I have a feeling he isn't here to help me..." Louis said to himself.

"Just shut the fuck up already!" Gears shouted, his finger shaking over the trigger. "This has been a long time coming! I hate those idiotic names you make us use! Do you think you're being clever because we use machines?! My name is Alden! And I'm gonna put a bullet in your head!"

"You dare turn a weapon to me?" Spark's grip on the hilts tighten. "After everything I've done for you?! I made you my second in command! And this is how you repay me?"

"Clearly you forget," Alden looked down the sights. "A second in command's purpose is to take the leader's position if needed."

Spark turned off the small valve on the right blade to let the fire go out before sheathing it behind his back. "Not until the current leader is gone..." he reached behind his waist and grabbed a handgun in its holster. "Looks like I'll be getting a new second in command!"

Quickly, he whipped the handgun out and unloaded at Alden with a rage filled scream. The traitor responded with a few curses and returned fire in full automatic. The catwalks echoed from their pounding footsteps when they began running to get a better bead on each other.

Louis left them to their quarrel, hoping they will finish each other off while looking around for stairs and found none nearby. He then looked down and spotted a long table with tools scattered on it. The quickest way was straight down, as much as he disliked the idea. Louis gripped the rails and leaped his legs over and planted his feet on the edge with a clank. He took a deep breath to ready himself before dropping down. His hands firmly held the edge as his body dangled and swayed, the armor he wore only added to the weight. But a sudden stab of pain in his forearm and side weakened his grip and slipped off. He landed on his back with a hard crash from the eleven foot drop, the tools on the table flew off from the impact.

"Oh, fuck..." Louis moaned and twitched. "I think...I landed on a wrench..." he reached under his back and pulled out said item. "Ow...that's gonna leave a bruise."

Slowly with more pain, the Vault dweller rolled off onto his feet and limply dashed away. His eyes fixed onto the screen again to get an idea of what was going on through the Sentry Bot's vision.

()()()()()()()

The five bots fired away at the wall of the fort, leaving burning red holes that melted through the concrete with each shot. All the group inside could do was stay away from the windows, their guns were useless against that kind of military weapons anyway. The wall in front of them started to get warm like a pot of water beginning to boil. No matter where they went, the Sentry Bots would follow them every step of the way and turn the fort into a tomb.

Doug fell forward and slid face down in the sand. A shot to the back of his right leg ended his run. Pain burned through his entire leg while the soreness from running for so long only made it worse.

"Goddamn it! Those bastards!" Doug cursed while looking down at his leg. It baffled him for a moment why they weren't finishing the job, he was laying on the ground completely defenseless. But a sudden dark realization washed over, something he had heard from other people. "I see now. They want to tear me to pieces while I'm down on the ground." a small grin of indifference spread across his mouth. "Sorry guys, I didn't think it would end this way."

The grim situation only mocked him more as a loud rumble fell onto his ears. He turned his head upward to see a Sentry Bot steam rolling right his way.

()()()()()()()()()()

No more test drives, it was time to take command. Louis planted himself behind a concrete column to rest with a smile on his face. Deep down he loved the idea of controlling a rolling tank of destruction like a toy.

"Okay, let's assess the situation." he raised the Pip-Boy up. "Um...turn towards the other Sentry bots."

The video feed turned a few degrees to the right and zoomed in on the bots many feet ahead. They continued to pelt the fort with red lasers that could punch through any moment.

"Shit! That must be where they're hiding. I suppose Inez hasn't caught up either. But where's Doug?" the screen flashed an indicator pointing to the left. Louis figured its motion sensors was detecting something. "Turn left towards signal."

The screen turned again and locked on to what entered its proximity range. Louis' eyes sunk upon seeing Doug on the ground with the remaining Rust Devils moments from coming down on him.

"Fucking shit!" Louis cursed. "They'll rip him to pieces! Get in front of that man on the ground!"

()()()()

Doug gave in to his fate and laid on his back and chuckled weakly. "Just be quick..." he shut his eyes tight as the robot reached him.

He expected to be blown to pieces, or burned to ashes by lasers. Yet nothing happened, the bot maneuvered around and stopped several feet in front of him like a personal bodyguard. Doug's eyes flipped open and saw the back of the towering machine standing ready.

"Uh...what's going on?" Doug's puzzled look ran deep.

()()()()

"Open fire on that crowd of people and robots!" Louis ordered firmly. "Protect the man on the ground!"

()()()()

The Rust Devils watched the Sentry Bot pull in front of the intruder and come to a halt. They questioned each other why it wasn't doing anything. Red light suddenly glowed from Sentry Bot's visor, it had received its next orders. Kill all the Rust Devils. Both arms aimed sharply, the laser cannons charged as the missiles loaded. Fear flooded over the Raiders, their hairs standing on end as they stared down the barrels of demise. Triple lasers fired in rapid succession, missiles launched one after the other, and even the remaining ammo in the front leg turrets unloaded on the screaming crowd.

A massacre followed, bloody bodies crumbled to the ground in heaps one after the other with burning holes that melted through their rusty armor. Limbs and organs flew everywhere from missile explosions, a horrible sight that sent them all into a panic when the chunks of flesh splattered them. The last few robots went into action and charged or floated forward, how lucky they were to never know fear. But the attempt was pointless, they faced the same fate and collapsed. Electricity flickered from the laser holes as oil slowly leaked out to stain the ground.

In only a minute, all remaining Rust Devils laid dead on the dirt. Their faces twisted in horror, at least those still in one piece. Only a few were still alive, gasping and moaning while trying to crawl away for their lives. But they soon joined the rest in death and left in the open to rot with only the occasional critter to come by and feast on them.

()()()()

Louis took a deep breath and slowly exhaled, his arm trembling with remorse. What horrible machines these Sentry Bots truly are. It only made the Vault dweller glad they never got to see the light of day up until now, the ability to kill so many in such a short time was madness. Even if he didn't directly pull the trigger, the mass murder was still on him.

"What kind of sick person would ever want to make something like these?" he wondered to himself and brushed a hand through his hair. "Once this is over, I'll see to it that these things are scrapped."

()()()()

The Sentry Bot turned away from the dead Raiders and seemed to eye Doug on the ground. A feeling that he was next went through his mind for a moment, but as before the bot went around him and moved towards the others.

Doug let out the breath he was holding and flopped back down to the dry cracked ground. "What's going on in this crazy ass place?..."

"Doug! Doug, are you alright?!" Inez's voice called out to him.

The Wastelander turned his head to see her approach and kneel down beside him. "Inez? How did you get away from that psycho?"

Inez held her hand out. "Louis stayed behind to fight the Rust Devil leader while I got away. He wants us to get out of here and leave him behind."

Doug reached out to take hers. With both hands and effort, she pulled him to his feet and offered a shoulder to lean on.

"Yeah, that sounds like something Louis would do..." Doug winced for a moment and tried to put weight on his right foot. "But why is that Sentry Bot acting weird?"

Inez shifted his arm better to keep him upright. "I don't know. I assume he has control. Somehow. But he can't take out the remaining five with only one."

The two started hobbling forward to the Sentry Bots in the distance. "He's always got something up his sleeve. We just have to trust he knows what he's doing." Doug felt his shoulder burning with pain again from the bullet. "At least I assume he does. I need a stimpak."

The Sentry Bots stepped up their attack, the ends of the triple barrels glowed red as the lasers. Burning holes covered the fort wall and windows. Inside, the group could feel the heat radiating off the concrete. Smoke began to hiss through and fill the area, even the metal door started to give off a glow and warp from heat.

"Fall back! Get deeper into the fort!" Joe waved his arm to follow.

A thunderous bang came from outside before the head of a harpoon bursted through the wall and speared into the wall across. The chain went taut, the wall where the spearhead pierced began to crack around it. Wayland growled with anger, the spear had only missed him by inches and pushed him to respond.

His big green hands reached out and grabbed with all his might. Wayland tugged the chain hard, and actually pulled the Sentry Bot forward a few inches. The bot kicked into gear and started rolling backwards to pull the chain out, but it only brushed up dirt with its jagged treads. Wayland felt the pull and held on tight, the thick chain started bending in his grip.

"Wayland, what are you thinking?!" Victoria asked him. "Let go of the chain before it pulls you out with the wall!"

"If I let go, this section will collapse on top of us!" Wayland strained, his feet slid on the floor. "I have to hold on!"

"Not unless the ceiling collapses on you!" Chloe pointed up to it. Bits of concrete dust fell from the cracks.

"Just go! I'll hold it here!" Wayland yelled with gritted teeth.

The chain pulled him closer to the hole while becoming tight enough to start pulling the spear out from the wall behind. The cracks around the spearhead got larger as Wayland planted his feet firmly, the heels of the boots scooted across the floor. With a strong yell, he gripped the chain tighter and pulled back, his muscles bulged with effort.

Outside, the Sentry Bot kicked into another gear to reel the chain in while driving backwards. The hacked Sentry Bot rumbled to a stop nearby, Louis kept it only close enough to have its long range attacks hit. He knew the odds were against him, five on one was still a huge disadvantage. The controlled bot raised both arms as the shoulder multi launchers flipped open. Louis ordered it to lock on the Sentry Bot at the far right and unleashed just about everything.

Lasers burned the back plating like rain on a tin roof, the missiles tore through layers of armor and down to the fragile parts inside. The Sentry Bots were covered in heavy armor that could withstand almost any attack, but the plating of the maintenance hatch wasn't the strongest section to withstand that kind of damage. At last the attack broke through, fire erupting from the back in a brilliant flame. It only took moments for the barrage to cause a catastrophic malfunction to its system. Its upper body exploded all over the place into heaps of burning metal as the tripod legs slunk to the ground.

Alarms went off in the Sentry Bots' programming and stopped their attacks while rotating towards the aggressor. The scans showed no signal coming from the controlled one, which activated a new order in their programming that warned it has been compromised and needed to be destroyed.

Two bots turned away and sped towards the corrupted one. Louis anticipated this and had his puppet flee backwards to lead them away. But his plan only half worked, two still stayed behind with their attacks focused on the fort.

Wayland pulled more of the chain through the hole with all his strength, now it was a battle of will to see who would hold out. Will the Sentry Bot burn out, or will Wayland's Super Mutant strength fail against a machine? Asimov witnessed the Sentry Bot attack one of its own and it baffled his calculations, one of the bots turning was something he didn't anticipate or even thought possible. Either way it wasn't important to him, now he knew the weakest section to attack.

The Assaultron turned to the Ghoul, despite not having any normal facial features, Joe could tell he was up to something. "Listen to me Joe, there's something I want you to do for me..."

"I don't like where this is going, Asimov..." Joe grumbled in concern.

"Please, just tell Inez...I'm sorry..."

Asimov stood up and shoved the door open and ran out before anyone could stop him. His self-destruct was primed and ready with a target locked on straight ahead. The lone Sentry Bot detected his approach and turned to attack, firing a volley of lasers right towards him. Asimov calculated the trajectories and dodged the beams as best his damaged body could, but three managed to strike him in the chest, hip and side of the right leg, adding to the damage. Once the Assaultron was close enough, he threw his body forward and slid across the ground. The Sentry Bot aimed its laser arm down, but Asimov anticipated this and raised his left knee as he slid. The kneecap popped open and fired the last missile directly into the bot's chest.

He knew it wouldn't cause any significant damage, all he needed was an opening as the smoke blocked its vision. Asimov slid right under the tripod legs and came to a stop behind the Sentry Bot and quickly got up. He climbed the leg and grabbed onto a bar handle near the shoulder plating as the Sentry Bot registered a threat on its hull. It started spinning and shaking around to throw him off, Asimov's grip tighten as he grabbed the hatch handle and pulled with all his hydraulic strength. The hatch flung open and revealed the vulnerable pieces inside.

Asimov primed his core, the Sentry Bot still tried to buck him off like a wild horse as it rolled towards the other bot that was still in a tug of war with Wayland inside, it was what the Assaultron counted on. A hum emitted from Asimov's body, the backup fusion core in his back began to go critical. His first fusion core was almost out of power from damage to his body, meaning this will be his last attack.

"Goodbye...Inez..."

"Stop! Asimov!" Inez's scream cut through to his sensors.

He deactivated his self-destruct and looked to her position. Inez stood close to the front of the hangar with Doug's arm draped over her shoulder.

"I know what you're going to do! And I won't let you!" she yelled with a scolding look. "You're smarter then those bucket heads! You can defeat them without blowing yourself to pieces!"

"I am almost out of power! This is the only course of action I can take!" Asimov said as he was almost flung off again. He quickly held tight and planted his feet back onto the hull.

"Stop fighting just for me! There are other people here that want to help!" Inez released Doug from her shoulder and let him flop to the ground. "You have to trust them! Now fight and survive!"

"He's getting tossed around like a rag doll on that thing..." Doug said to himself while holding the back of his shot leg.

Asimov nodded in confirmation. There was no point in arguing with Inez once her mind was made up. There was one option left in his arsenal, the most deadliest weapon of his robotic kind. The red visor slid up, revealing the lense that shined a red glow. His head laser charged with a loud buzzing hum, there was only enough power for one shot.

"I calculate your parts are not as strong as your armor!" Asimov shouted.

He quickly maneuvered in front of the hatch as the Sentry Bot rolled backwards a few feet and began spinning its upper body to throw him off. Asimov held tight against the gravitational pull and locked his limbs. At last his laser beam reached its full charge with a beep over the hum and fired everything he had left into it. Being so close to the opening of the body sent laser sparks flying like a welding torch cutting metal, all the mechanical pieces and circuits within the beam melted into red hot slag.

The Sentry Bot slowed to a stop from its spinning. Its view crackled with countless warnings and alerts boxes before going completely black. Asimov's laser beam died down, the last of its energy trail faded into nothing. His limbs unlocked to let go and hop off, but what came next hit him harder then he could imagine. Without warning the Sentry Bot exploded, its core ruptured from the laser blast damage and sent Asimov flying through the air and slamming into the ground with black scorches all over his chest and faceplate. Pieces of the Sentry Bot laid scattered on the ground, burning just like the last one.

Asimov tried to push himself up, but his body was barely responding. His audio receivers could barely pick up Inez's screams calling out to him. "Alright, everyone, finish this for me..." he said to himself as his head hit the dirt.

Wayland almost lost his grip again, the Sentry Bot seemed to keep changing gears every time he pulled the chain back. Blood trickled from his giant palms as the chain slipped again. Wayland felt the chain cutting into his hands, so he wrapped it around to get a better hold. His teeth grit to the point of breaking as his anger intensified under the strain. If Louis was standing next to him, the Pip-Boy would begin ticking away from the radiation spike. The veins in Wayland's body glowed bright green, just like when he went berserk and slaughtered his so called _kin_. The boost increased his strength tenfold while battling with himself to keep his strange ability in control. He worried his rampaging state would make him bring the area down on them.

"Get back unless you guys want to end up looking like me!" Joe stood in front of the group to make them back away.

"Don't lose control, Wayland!" Chloe called to him, hoping her voice would keep him steady.

The Sentry Bot created a massive cloud of dirt that billowed all around it. Deep treads covered the ground in jagged scars from its struggle to pull away. It went on the attack again by firing lasers at the wall to strike down whoever was tugging on the chain. The cooling wall heated up again, which caused larger cracks to form from the sudden change in temperature. The weakening wall affected the inside, cracks slithered across the ceiling above Wayland's head. Yet the Super Mutant stood his ground, either way that section of the building will collapse if he lost.

"I...won't...let...go!" Wayland growled, his eyes glowing green like his veins.

"Wayland! The lasers are going to burn through the wall!" Victoria pointed to the redden area.

The wall surrounding the chain billowed with smoke that filled the ceiling. Wayland reached his left hand out grabbed on to another section of chain and pulled towards him. He did it several more times and until there was a small pile of chain at his feet. The Sentry Bot was dragged several feet across the ground as it transferred a large portion of power to the laser arm. The increase in power made the triple lasers fire rapidly to the point that they looked like single beams. Its vision displayed a temperature reading that showed heat was rapidly building up. The automatic cool down sequence kicked in to vent before an explosion by overheat happened.

It was a one out of six chance, a gamble Inez made that finally payed off. Electricity surged from the joints, a faint alarm rang from the Sentry Bot's head. Black smoke seeped out from the back near the head, its programming tried to reroute commands to vent, but nothing was responding. The rumbling inside grew louder until it sounded like something rattling around in a can. Its laser arm ceased firing, the barrel ends spewed with bursts of fire from another overload in its fusion receivers. Just like the last two, the Sentry Bot exploded into a shower of burning pieces with only the tripod legs mostly intact.

The chain went slack in Wayland's hands, the sudden loss of force pulling against him made the Super Mutant practically fly backwards into the wall behind him. Slowly, his glowing veins faded away, breathing calmly seemed to help return him to normal. Once he was back to normal, the group felt it was safe to approach him.

"Wayland...you doing okay?..." Joe asked first.

The Super Mutant's fuzzy mind settled enough to be coherent. "Yeah...I'll be fine..."

Cavall walked up and locked eyes with him in a loving manner, his tongue hung out with excitement. Wayland smiled and reached out to pet the large canine on his head.

"Hate to cut our break short, but we cannot stop now." Chloe slung her plasma rifle over her shoulder. "We need to hurry and find Louis..."

"First, let's help Asimov. He took a big hit for us." Victoria said as they walked out the door.

Once the five exited the back entrance, they could hear Inez calling Asimov's name over and over. Doug had his arm draped over her shoulder again as the two awkwardly ran together. Everyone met and gathered around Asimov still face down on the dirt. Inez passed Doug off to Joe who was in the process of getting a stimpak from his backpack.

"Asimov! Asimov, please respond!" Inez gently flipped him onto his back. "Come on, say anything!"

The Assaultron seemed to spark back online to her voice. "I have sustained severe damage." a spark popped from the side of his head. "How are you?..."

Inez sighed in relief, but at the same time she knew he won't last much longer. "We need to get you hooked up to a power source. Wayland, will you carry him?"

"Of course I will..." Wayland kneeled down to gently scoop him up.

Doug injected the stimpak into his leg and sighed in relief as both wounds closed up. "Thank god. You never realize how bad you need a stimpak until you need it." he stood back up and put some weight on his leg. "So it's pretty obvious Louis is controlling that Sentry Bot. I've known him for years and yet he continues to surprise me or find new ways to destroy things. Usually both."

"I'll say. He killed all the other Rust Devils and their robots!" Inez informed them. "I've never seen anything like it."

"Thank god, we needed a break from all this crazy shit..." Joe sighed in relief.

"But does that mean Louis is okay or still in trouble?" Victoria asked.

"I doubt he's okay, like I told Doug, he was fighting the Rust Devil leader before making me leave." Inez answered her. "He wanted us to go without him."

"That idiot..." Joe grumbled and brushed a hand through his hair. "This isn't the time to play hero."

"But there's a lot of us and only that one bad man!" Wayland carefully threw Asimov over his shoulder and held his AK in one hand, eager to go. "We'll stop him!"

They didn't waste any time by saying another word and headed straight towards the hangar door. Night was only a few hours away, and the last thing they needed was to be fighting in the dark. The battle needed to end soon before someone was killed.

()()()

The controlled Sentry Bot looped around the back of the hangar at breakneck speed, its treads dug deep into the dry ground as it turned the corner. The last two robots came charging around a moment later and followed the trail left behind. Both Sentry Bots went on the attack with another volley of lasers and missiles. Louis ordered the bot to serpentine the incoming attacks, but some still hit the mark. As it turned out, the lasers they fired were much stronger than any standard laser weapon. They left deep burns against the armor plating, the bots even seemed to be aiming for the joints to disable it.

()()()

"Dammit!" Louis cursed to himself. The screen on his Pip-Boy displayed four small boxes that warned of the attack against its hull and that most of its missiles have been expended. "I didn't think their own weapons could damage each other that easily. I thought the back was the weakest points. Whoever built these really went all out."

Bullet casings dropped from the catwalk where Spark and Alden continued to fight. The former second in command's rifle clicked empty and cussed, he stood defenseless as his leader closed in with his handgun pointed. The deranged leader took aim with a grin on his face and pulled. But his gun clicked empty too, the Rust Devil felt the hairs on his neck stand on end.

"Fuck! Looks like we're both out." his worry flipped back to sadistic. "By my shishkebob will carve your ass up!"

"Keep retreating. Avoid enemy fire." Louis' voice was heard below them.

Spark looked down to the Vault dweller, who didn't notice their fight had stopped. "Fuck! I completely forgot about what that asshole was doing to my bots!" the Rust Devil leader began to panic.

He heard a mag being loaded into a gun and spun around just in time to see Alden point his reloaded rifle at him. A smile of victory spread on his lips.

"I always knew that one track mind of yours would be the death of you!" his finger twitched against the trigger. "Me being the one to kill you is just a bonus."

Spark stepped back, he stood with no ammo and far form being able to reach with his sword. He felt helpless and cornered, only his brother made him feel like this. And there was nowhere for him to hide or run without getting gunned down. Three sudden gunshots rang out in the hangar, drawing the two's attention to the source. Joe had his smoking revolver pointed to the ceiling before lowering it. The rest of the group stood with guns in their hands, in case there was any Rust Devils left.

"Drop your weapons and put your hands on your head!" Joe aimed for Alden. "I won't tell you again!"

Louis practically sprang from his hiding spot, surprised to hear their voices. "What are you all still doing here? I told Inez to get you guys and leave!"

Doug scoffed at his statement. "Like we were gonna let you be the only hero."

"Oh great! And here's the rest of the asshole brigade!" Spark anguished scream echoed in the hangar. "Can those bots kill anyone?!"

"If it makes you feel better, I used the bot I'm controlling to kill the rest of your people!" Louis called up with the Pip-Boy held high.

"All of them? That's not possible..." Alden felt a cold spike go down his spine.

"It is! I even saw it myself!" Doug spoke up.

While everyone wasn't looking, Spark dashed away in a panic. The walls were finally coming down on him and there was no one left for him to use. The only option left was to take everyone down, even if it meant he had to go down too. He ran across the catwalk towards a stack of wooden crates and out of Alden's range to get a decent hit. Without delay he kicked off the wooden lid and snuffed his blade out while digging through the packaging hay until he found the weapon. All eyes turned to him as he hoisted onto his shoulder a RPG with a rocket loaded.

"Die, fuckers!" he screamed and peered down the scope and fired.

The rocket screamed through the air and flew high over the group and hit near the door at the far back in an explosion that rattled the hangar. Spark's miss was on account of his anger and not taking the time to properly aim at them.

"Spread out now!" Chloe ordered as she returned fire with a few bolts of plasma.

Spark took cover as the plasma hit the catwalk below near him. He grabbed a smaller crate next to the one that had the RPG in it. Once he was far enough, the crate lid was pulled open, inside was an abundance of rockets all waiting to be fired. Everyone ran for any cover they could find, which was difficult since there was almost nothing strong enough to stand up to a rocket. Spark reloaded and looked around for his second in command to give him a present he won't forget.

"Alden! Where are you?! Come out and I'll give you a, what did they call it? A severance package?" he sang out.

But Alden was already on the run after the first rocket was fired. He practically flew down the stairs and headed for the first exit he could find. "Screw this! Screw all of this! He's not worth getting blown to pieces over!"

Louis watched the man flee in terror as he almost tripped over his own two feet. "And don't come back, you coward!" he shouted at the man.

Spark heard him and turned around to his location. He spotted the Vault dweller and aimed towards him. Louis gasped upon realizing he was out in the open and ran behind the concrete column just as the rocket hit it. He only managed to get several feet away as the blast sent him falling to the floor. His ears rang and his vision spun as the controlled Sentry Bot was starting to lose the battle without him at the wheel.

Doug stepped out from behind a stack of concrete bags he hid behind. With his 9mm in hand, he fired to get Spark's attention. "Hey, Louis, hurry up and stop those robots outside! We'll distract the leader!"

On cue the wanderers emerged from their hiding places, they heard Doug's plan and pitched in. Gunfire filled the hangar, along with bullets pinging off the catwalk. Spark loaded another rocket and blind fire again, he had no particular target in mind other than to hit someone.

Louis stood to his feet, a sharp pain stabbed in his head. His skull must have hit the floor after being blown over. But he could deal with that later, only the Sentry Bot could withstand a rocket and get close enough. He looked to the screen once more with a quickly cobbled together form of attack. "Stop retreating! Charge forward at full speed and ram into the closest Sentry Bot!"

()()()()

The Sentry Bot came to a complete stop despite the lasers striking its body. It targeted the closest one as commanded and started revving its treads for momentum. Dirt and rocks sputtered through the air before it charged at full speed with a ground shattering rumble. The two bots screeched to a stop after realizing their target coming right towards them and continued blasting away. Each shot hit dead on, slowly burning holes into its armor the closer it got. But the attacks did nothing to slow it down as the one on the right was struck dead on in the chest area. The metal crumbled upon impact, leaving a sizable dent that damaged some of its internal parts. The Sentry Bot toppled over onto its back and cracked the ground upon impact. Louis' theory paid off better than he hoped, the Sentry Bot seemed unable to get back up as it flailed its arms and tripod legs around.

Now that one was incapacitated, Louis gave another command that was unexpected by the last bot's processors. The controlled bot stretched both arms outward as the legs locked at a certain angle for stability. Its body spun like a propeller and only gained more momentum until the upper body started to blur.

Louis ordered it to ram the last Sentry Bot while spinning to damage its arms and disable it. As Louis' bot closed in, the remaining one went all out with its attack. Lasers burned and missiles exploded on impact against the Sentry Bot turned spinning top. Warning signs flashed on Louis' Pip-Boy screen, the bot wasn't gonna hold out much longer against that kind of point blank attack as the very attacker backed away.

But the Vault dweller had no choice but to press the bot on and ordered it to go all out. The Sentry Bot speeded up again, its upper body covered in burn holes and damaged plating as smoke started to puff out. The suicide charge finally hit its mark, the spinning arms swatted the enemy bot's arms and then its chest with a thunderous clash of twisting metal. Once more Louis' risky attack paid off, the Sentry Bot's arms ceased firing as sparks sputtered from the joints. It tried to retaliate but the arms didn't respond to any commands, they hanged limply and leaving it almost defenseless.

The panels of the Sentry Bot's shoulder multi launchers flipped open and locked on. However, Louis figured that was what the Sentry Bot was going to do next, and he already had his bot's shoulder launchers primed. All nine mini missiles on both sides fired, the roaring explosions covered the enemy bot all over. The smoke cleared and the Sentry Bot stood motionless for a few moments before starting to sputter again, a lot of its armor plating was warped and cracked, both launchers were blown to pieces and only added to the damage since the missiles inside exploded as well.

Louis commanded his bot to finally finish it. The Sentry Bot raised its laser arm up and fired at full power directly into its faceplate until the beams burned all the way through and slagged its main computer parts. With nothing left to guide it, the Sentry Bot powered down with what was left of its head glowing red hot. Only one remained, the one that was toppled still flopping like a turtle on its back. The Sentry Bot finished it off the same way as the other, blasting its head with lasers until it melted into hot slag.

()()()()

It was over, Louis exhaled all the air in his lungs that he held. All that remained was the Rust Devil leader who continued to pop off rockets at his friends. But someone else was picked up on his Sentry Bot's sensors. Its view turned to see Alden running for his life. The Vault dweller frowned at the screen, he couldn't let him get away, the Wasteland didn't need another Raider running loose. There was only one missile remaining in its left arm.

"Blow that man up."

()()()()

The Sentry Bot kicked in on command and gave chase. Alden reached the side gate booth, panic pounded in his heart as he slammed the gate button. The chainlink fence rattled open as Alden squeezed through the gap, not even waiting for it to fully open. But soon a rumble reached his ears and he turned to see the Sentry Bot hot on his trail. Alden tripped over himself and quickly scurried back up, he had no direction in mind. He only wanted to get away as the Sentry Bot came rolling out through the opening.

Alden reached the rusty and now bullet hole covered tank. He couldn't stop, not even for a moment as the Sentry Bot aimed. The last missile it had in the arm fired with a screech through the air and slammed right into the tank. In an instant, pieces of rusted metal and parts flew everywhere. Age made the entire military vehicle brittle and too easy to destroy with one missile. Louis couldn't see Alden anywhere on screen, he figured the man was blown to pieces. Either way, Alden wasn't a threat anymore. The Sentry Bot spun around and headed back to the hangar.

()()()()

Another thunderous explosion shook the hangar and left another crater of broken concrete. Spark was getting better with his aim, and that forced the wanderers on the defense. And their low ammo and dwindling places to take cover was also an increasing factor. Wayland gently laid Asimov down behind some crates so he could better focus on the fight.

"Die already! Just fucking die!" Spark yelled as he loaded another.

"This guy is completely unhinged..." Joe said to himself from his cover of a overturned table.

Inez crouched next to Doug and Victoria. "He's not even trying to keep me alive anymore!"

Their salvation rolled in on Louis' command. The Sentry Bot came through the hole in the wall that was made earlier. The entire hangar went quiet with the only sound a loud hum coming from the bot.

"Oh, fuck me..." Spark grumbled. He realized then, in a moment of clarity, he had lost.

Louis stepped out from his hiding place, the Pip-Boy raised near his mouth. "Blast the catwalk that man is standing on!"

With a clanking hum, the Sentry Bot turned its laser arm towards said target and blast away with endless red beams. Spark placed the RPG body over his shoulder to fire, but the red lasers melted through the old metal bars and supports holding the catwalk up. The section gave out and Spark fell backwards, his finger slipped on the trigger and fired the rocket straight up. It hit the ceiling and blew a sizable hole that rained concrete and rebar. Both Spark and the catwalk section crashed to the floor in a thick cloud of dust.

The Rust Devil staggered to his feet in a daze, blood dripping from his chin that ran from the side of his forehead. He almost flopped back onto his ass as soon as he stood up. His mind was in a blurry haze with a possible concussion to boot. But the sound of heavy machinery rolling up behind cleared him of his daze. A cold shiver stabbed down his back, he slowly turned and locked eyes with the Sentry Bot pointing its laser arm at him.

Louis came into view and stood next to the bot, his Pip-Boy waiting for a command. The rest of the wanderers came out from their hiding place, Inez stayed behind to make sure Asimov was still functioning. Everyone gathered near the Vault dweller, they wanted to see how this madness will end.

Spark stepped back with queasy legs and chuckled nervously. "Okay. Okay, you guys got me, I give up. Okay? I'm serious, I give up!" he chuckled nervously once more and lifted his hands into the air. "Seriously, I'm done. Look, my hands are up! What more do you people want from me? Do you want me to get on my knees? I'll get on my knees!" he did just that, got down on his knees like a coward. "See?! No need to kill me, I'll give you guys whatever's left!"

Joe scoffed in disappointment. "If I had any respect for this guy...it's all gone now."

"We can't just take him prisoner." Chloe said as she power down her plasma rifle. "He could try to make a run for it when we're not looking."

Victoria turned to the Vault dweller. "Or get reinforcements if there are any. Either way he's still dangerous."

Louis' fist clenched, all he had to do was say the word and the man in front of him would be burned to ash. "It would be so easy to kill you. All I have to do is to give the order..." he looked to the Rust Devil.

Doug raised a brow. "And the reason you're not?..."

"Because it's different!" Louis stated. "I can kill someone who's trying to kill me or you guys. But he's surrendering and on his knees..."

"I can get on my hands too!" Spark suggested.

"You shut up!" Louis snapped before sighing. "The point is, I can't shoot someone who's defenseless. No matter who they are..."

Inez came out of nowhere and walked between them and Spark. A stern frown on her brows as she looked to Spark who looked up with hope that she will save him.

"Inez?..." Louis began to say.

"You don't have to worry about it, Louis." Inez reached into her jumpsuit pocket and pulled out a Beretta M9 she found on a table. "This is personal to me anyway." she aimed it right at Spark's forehead.

"Oh, God! Please don't!" Spark pleaded with tears starting to fall.

"And for Asimov, and the people you've terrorized and killed!" she squeezed, a single pop, and Spark's body crumbled to the floor.

The hangar stood quiet for what felt like hours. It was the first time Inez had ever taken a life, especially in an execution manner. She held the gun in both hands, a twinge of regret pricked her mind as her thumb ran over the slide of the gun.

Louis stepped up to her and placed a hand on her shoulder. "Hey...it's going to be okay. Just give me the gun."

Inez sighed and put the gun away in her pocket until she could find a holster. "I'm alright." she turned to them. "It's finally over. And I for one am glad. Now if you'll excuse me, Asimov needs my help."


	24. NEW BEGINNING

**CHAPTER 24: NEW BEGINNING.**

" _Do the difficult things while they are easy and do the great things while they are small. A journey of a thousand miles must begin with a single step." -Lao Tzu._

Inez and Louis gently laid Asimov on a work table, Doug pushed off the worthless junk to make room. Victoria pulled up a generator on a small cart with jumper cables. Inez went to work by using a long screwdriver to pop his chest plates open and then attached the clamps to the jumper nubs on the generator side. She clicked the other clamps together, creating sparks before attaching them to the inside ports of Asimov's chest.

A surge of power coursed through the Assaultron, his body jolted and twitched on the table for a moment like a fish out of water. The energy from the generator gave Asimov enough power to be functional enough to move and respond. His vision came back online and calibrated, the first person he saw was Inez with eyes full of relief.

"Asimov! You're back to normal!" Inez threw her arms around him gently and held tight.

"More like at 17% function. Well below acceptable parameters. But thank you." Asimov returned the hug.

"Glad to see you're functioning, Asimov." Louis gave him a thumbs up. "You had us worried there, I can't believe you took a blast like that dead on."

"I too am having trouble processing that." Asimov sat up and hanged his legs off the side. "But I am thankful for what you all have done for Inez and me."

"Well, as Louis says, it's the right thing to do." Doug shrugged indifferently.

"Is he going to be okay?" Joe asked.

"He needs to charge up for a bit." Inez answered. "Once he has enough power in him I'll begin repairs. If there's one thing good about these Rust Devils, they got a lot of tools to fix robots."

"And while you're waiting," Chloe smiled brightly like someone on payday. "Let's loot this place! We got a whole military base to ourselves!"

"Speaking my language, kid." Joe smirked.

Wayland felt his stomach grumble and placed a hand on it. The battle of the day left him starving. "I hope this place has food. I'm getting real hungry."

Victoria softly chuckled at his innocent demeanor when they weren't in battle. "Come on, I'll help you look for food." they both went off together.

"And I'm gonna change back into my clothes. This armor is literally falling apart." Louis pulled off a piece of metal from it to demonstrate.

"Same here." Doug spoke.

"Thanks for reminding me." Chloe waved before go off to find a private place.

Three hours passed as the wanderers looted the hangar and fort. The group practically cleared the place out and pooled all the useable weapons, scarce ammo, cans of food and alcohol, medical supplies and other items of value. It wasn't much of a haul despite the large area. Most of the food was already eaten with only empty cans as proof, but plenty of booze for an entire settlement. A long table served as their place to put all they found and got a lucky break after exploring the catwalk. Spark's makeshift room at the back section was filled with good loot, including ammo that went with some of their weapons.

After they were done with the rummaging, it was time to call it a night. Louis commanded the Sentry Bot to patrol the grounds around the hole in the wall. Inez gave it a quick check and informed it was functional enough despite the damage, although she advised direct combat was out of the question. A barrel fire burned in the center of the hangar to chase out the coming chill of night. Several cots laid waiting for them so they could stay close and sleep in shifts. Louis spent his time after getting changed back into his Vault jumpsuit and trench coat by pulling data from the terminal. It was a wellspring of information on the make and design of the Sentry Bots that gave him answers he wanted to know.

And before that he treated his burn cuts with a stimpak he found. Even with something like that healing him, there will still be noticeable scarring on his forearm and waist side.

The wanderers gathered around the fire, Doug placed a grate over the barrel to cook their cans of food. Asimov still needed time to charge his body and just listened in on their conversation.

"So did you find what was on that terminal?" Inez asked as he sat down.

"Boy, did I." Louis answered as he looked at his Pip-Boy screen. "These things were top secret. Like really top secret. Only a select few knew."

"Secret weapons and experiments." Joe scoffed at that. "Nothing new there."

Louis placed his can down and looked at the data. "From what I've seen on the journal entries, the people that designed these robots were on a strict timetable to complete them. They spared no expenses and loaded these machines down with all kinds of weapons. There was even plans for more, including a flamethrower. Thank god that wasn't in them." he shuddered at the idea.

"Talk about over accessorizing." Inez felt disgust, the last thing those robots ever needed was more ways to kill. "What were they even going to do with those Sentry Bots?"

Louis scrolled the screen for a moment. "I'm not sure. There's no record of who even started the project. All I could find was records of funds and materials. Apparently the scientists and engineers behind this were rung through the ringer. I'm talking working days at a time, night shifts, and even working the holidays. The journal logs even had hidden pages with quite a lot of choice words for the people running this base. Along with what looked like an attempt at writing an erotic novel, a grocery list, a page about making a new comic book series about robots, and even a recipe for rum cake and chocolate pie." he chuckled to that. "I'm beginning to think some of them went days without sleeping..."

"Funny you should mention that..." Joe began to think.

"What, the rum cake and chocolate pie?..." Doug asked with a mouthful of food.

"No. About the scientists and engineers. I remember people like that were always in demand for decades." the Ghoul snapped in response. "I even heard of grants that pretty much paid your way through collage if you showed a decent amount of skill in those fields."

"That's a bit strange." Chloe commented. "It's kinda funny, but my father once said to me collages of the old world were like expensive daycares. What with all the frat parties." she chuckled to herself.

"What's a...frat...party?" Victoria asked.

"Short answer, a lot of drinking and getting lucky." Louis spoke.

Wayland finished his fifth can of mini hotdogs and swallowed them down before speaking. "I'm just glad we didn't fight all ten of those robots." his eyes turned to the four still standing still as statues. "Good thing they weren't very smart."

"Actually, big guy, I was wondering why their operating performance seemed below normal standards." Louis hesitated on telling what he discovered. "Turns out those Sentry Bots were pretty stupid from a technical standpoint. The developers put too much time loading them with weapons that they didn't have time to work on the hardware. It's very basic programming, even a Protectron has more going on in its head. Hence why they needed a terminal to control."

"So what you're saying is...we got lucky. Again." Doug clicked his tongue.

"Hey, don't look a gift horse in the mouth..." the Vault dweller shrugged.

"All brawn and no brains," Inez stood up and stretched. "That's a dangerous mix, especially with robots. And if you guys will excuse me, I'm going to fix Asimov."

Joe slowly stood up next. "In that case, I'll start bringing down the stuff in Spark's messy room. All I found so far was junk and a cardboard box filled with nudie mags."

"Please tell me you didn't touch them..." Chloe winced. Porno magazines are always in high demand and quickly...tarnished.

"Are you kidding? I was thinking about setting the box on fire. For all our sakes..." the Ghoul chuckled.

Louis looked at his Pip-Boy once more. "I'll give this place one last sweep, but before that..." he twisted the knob a few times and pressed a side button. The data he downloaded from the terminal deleted one line of code at a time before the screen went black. "There, now no one can use this data to try replicating those things."

"I doubt anyone has the technology to rebuild those things." Victoria pointed out.

"You're probably right. But it's better to be safe than sorry." he agreed and walked off with Cavall following at his side.

After that, everyone continued with their own activities to pass the time. Inez rolled up another toolbox cabinet, she pretty much grabbed any tool and robot part that wasn't nailed down.

"Okay, I think that's all I need..." she said while rolling up a welding gas tank and cart.

"I think you might have too much..." Asimov retorted.

"If there's one thing that's good about these Rust Devils, it's that they got a lot of tools and parts to spare." Inez wiped her forehead with her sleeve. "I'm just going to check the back one more time. Better to be safe than sorry."

Inez walked towards the back section where an assortment of tools on tables and pegboards, and robot limbs hanging from hooks with chains tied to the supports of the catwalk. The area was a mess of junk cluttered around, and maneuvering through was headache inducing. Inez spotted a box of fuses behind a wide support and went towards it, she rummaged through the old bulbs to see which ones were still in good condition.

"So how far off course are we?..." Doug's voice was heard nearby.

"Don't worry, once we get back to Inez's settlement we'll be back on track. We haven't lost our direction of the signal." Louis answered him while checking the Pip-Boy.

"Signal?..." Inez quietly wondered. Curiosity pushed her to listen in despite the back of her mind telling saying not to. Ever since they came into Garry's shop, something about them seemed more odd than the usual people that have come and went. She peeked her head around the support and spotted them several meters away near another column.

"That doesn't change the fact we lost two days." Doug sternly continued. The mood became tense between them, an argument that had been coming for hours. "We can't solve every problem we come across. I'm glad we helped Inez and Asimov, but we'll get nowhere at this rate. Today it was military robots. Tomorrow? Who knows what the fuck it will be?"

"You think I don't know that?!" Louis sharply cut in. "I know the Wasteland is a terrible place. Even now, something horrible is happening! But..." he stopped for a moment to calm down before going off the rails. "What would you have had me do? Would you have been okay if we just left Inez to her fate? I'm trying to save the world, but I can't turn a blind eye like it's nothing when someone needs help."

Doug stopped himself from saying something he would later regret. Once Louis' mind was made up on something he stuck to it, no matter what. Despite how much it frustrated him, Doug knew he was right about saving Inez and helping Asimov. Even if every time they got involved, a shootout soon followed.

"Look, let's just put a pin in this. We're tired, and I got shot twice." Doug let out a heavy breath, the last thing he needed was a headache to add on. "Just promise if we get involved in something like this again, you won't leap in without a second thought and talk with everyone else to come up with a better plan."

"That's why I have you, Doug." the Vault dweller smiled again. "You're my steady hand..."

"Call me your right hand man and I will dropkick you in the gut..." Doug warned with narrowed eyes.

"And there's the dry wit I know." Louis turned around and started walking off. "I wouldn't dream of it. I'm grateful you're around to pull my ass out of trouble."

"I've always pulled your ass out of trouble!" he ran a hand through his messy dark brown hair. "And we still got a long way to go..."

Inez hid herself back behind the support. Her mind ran with questions, where were they going? What signal were they following? She wanted to ask, but that would reveal she was listening in. Yet at the same time, after all that happened today, a part of her wanted to go with them. For a long time she planned to go out into the world with Asimov. Working in Garry's shop allowed the use of her talents to fix things for others. Yet the small settlement was only one spot, and so many other places needed someone with her skills. Just like her parents did back in the small community in Mexico where they lived before coming into the states with other people that helped rebuild prewar technology for other struggling towns.

She returned to the task at hand and picked up the box of fuses and rejoined Asimov who was waiting patiently.

"Did you have any trouble?" the Assaultron asked.

"Uh, no trouble." she placed the box on the table.

Asimov watched her facial ques and recognized the pattern that she was deep in thought. "You're thinking of something. I know that look on you."

"I told you to stop reading my face!" Inez blustered with both hands on her cheeks. "Alright, fine, I've been thinking. I've actually been thinking this for a long time, we should finally head out."

"But, Inez, it's too dangerous out there. It's not like with your parents and the people we traveled with." Asimov disliked this conversation, it always put them at odds. "Why bring this up now after so long?"

Inez breathed deeply through her nose and exhaled before answering. "Because I want to move on. It took being abducted to realize nowhere is truly safe. And I don't ever want my skill used to hurt innocent people like the Rust Devils planned with those Sentry Bots." she quickly looked to the wanderers going about their business. "And maybe it's because of them too. They might be the strangest group I've ever seen, but they still helped complete strangers like us. We should repay them."

Asimov thought it over. It was always a bold choice to venture out, and even he wasn't built for everything the world could throw at them. "No matter what you choose to do, I will always be at your side."

Inez held her index finger up. "Oh, that reminds me." she grabbed a wrench from the table and swiftly whacked him on the forehead. It wasn't a hard strike or soft one, just hard enough to make a noticeable ping against metal.

Asimov tiled his head slightly in confusion over the action. "I...don't follow..."

"That was for trying to blow yourself up!" she placed the wrench back down hard. "You can't protect me when you're in pieces! So don't ever think about doing it again!"

"I was only taking the best possible course of action at the time and-"

"You were thinking like a regular Assaultron." she interjected. "And you're not that anymore. My father didn't rebuild you just to go all bombardeo." she took a moment to gather her thoughts. "A regular Assaultron doesn't fight to survive, it only fights as programmed and wins no matter what." she poked her finger against his faceplate. "You're more than that. And you got more going on in there than just a CPU. So from now on, we protect each other. Bien?"

Asimov looked down, if had a face, it would be contorted with remorse. During that, years worth of video recordings played before him. From the time he was first activated, or reactivated to be more accurate. The years of watching Inez grow from a little girl in her village to the young woman she is now. And now she wanted to go off into the world with him at her side.

"Alright. Whenever you want to go, I'll be ready. And I promise I will calculate my options better and survive."

"Good to hear." Inez beamed back to cheery as ever. "Now, let's get you patched up. Can't have you falling apart on me."

Asimov gently grabbed her hand before she could pick up a tool. "But know this, I protect you not because your father programmed me. I protect you because _I_ want to. It's my choice."

Inez squeezed his hand in response. "And now it's my choice too." she let go and finally got to work.

"But I must ask, why did you strike me with a wrench?"

"Because I was still angry with you and it was the only thing I could think of." Inez raised her open hand. "If you were human, I would have slapped you."

"Fair enough."

()()()

Joe held a box of random medical supplies in his arms as Wayland walked down with him. A large crate slung over his shoulder, a lightweight item compared to his strength. The two reached the bottom steps and went towards the table.

"Well, looks like we found the last of anything useful up there." Joe said as he placed the box on the table.

"Why did that headboard have robot heads on spikes?..." Wayland asked curiously.

"Eh, it's a rich tapestry into the mind of a fucking psycho." Joe flicked the side of his head with a finger.

Wayland placed the large crate down, the table creaked from the weight of their finds. "How are we going to carry all this stuff back? There's too much."

Joe looked to the table, the Super Mutant had a point. They got so overzealous with looting the place that they didn't realize how much they brought in.

"Shit. We do have a bit of a problem." the Ghoul crossed his arms in thought. "We cannot carry it all, yet we cannot leave it behind. If only we had a cart or..."

His lapis colored eyes looked around the area for anything useful. A smile came across his wrinkled lips, tucked away in a corner was a open trailer with a tarp covered in holes.

"Perfect!" Joe perked up, a rare thing for him as the two went up to it. "We can use that to haul our goods."

"But, how are we going to pull it?" Wayland looked it over, even gave the tire a light kick.

"Don't worry about that, big guy. I already have an idea, I just need to have a talk with Louis..."

()()()

Louis sat a table by himself. In front of him was his dual Colt M1911 pistols, Desert Eagle 50AE, AN-94 assault rifle, Mossberg 590 riot shotgun, and combat machete on the table. He found a pair of knuckle dusters and pocketed, adding to his weapons. Scattered with the guns was a small box of bullets and empty magazines. The Vault dweller inspected each bullet before loading them, the Rust Devils clearly never took good care of their weapons, so their bullets suffered the same problem. Louis clicked his tongue in annoyance and dropped the current bullet into another small box. The casing had a dent.

"How did these people give us so much trouble without killing themselves?" he asked himself before picking up another bullet.

He didn't notice Victoria approach him until she cleared her throat. Louis quickly turned his eyes up to her with surprise. "Is this a bad time?..."

"Oh, never. Have a seat." Louis gestured his hand to the chair across from him.

"I just wanted to give you this." Victoria held up a bag and placed it on the table. The jingle of caps rattled in it.

Louis raised a brow in surprise at the large sack. "Uh...what's this for?..."

"Repayment." she pulled the chair out and sat down. "I owe you for the clothes and weapons you bought me, remember? There's over six hundred caps with interest."

It took Louis a moment to remember it. "That thing? Vic, you don't have to pay me back." he leaned forward and pushed the bag back to her. "I didn't do that just for you to pay me back. This is your find, keep it."

Victoria pushed the bag back in response. "And I insist you take it. Where I came from we repay what we owe or take. That's the system we stuck by for generations. And I won't take no for an answer."

"Alright, fine. But I'm only taking it as a gift." Louis hesitantly grabbed the sack and placed it beside him. During that he noticed her bottom lip quiver for a moment. Thinking of her home still brought deep pain. "Are you...still having night terrors?"

The redhead crossed her arms for comfort and leaned back in her chair. "They come and go. Sometimes I just sleep through it. Those are the worse."

Choose his next words carefully, Louis wanted to see if she would open up more to the issue. "If you ever want to talk, I'm willing to listen. I want to help you recover."

Victoria's mood lighten to that comment. "Why do you like helping others so much anyway?"

Louis shrugged in response. "I've always been the helpful type. I even held a lot of jobs back in my Vault..." he dropped the bad bullet into the box. "And I'm serious. I would never judge you, I've heard about the horrible things slavers do."

"It's even worse in person. Especially how they raid people's homes." she stood up, remembering the day she was enslaved ran the risk of triggering a panic attack. And that was the last thing she wanted them to see. "But thanks. I'll...think about it. Just not now, I want to focus on the task at hand."

"Have you..." Louis paused for an awkward moment. "Ever thought about returning home?"

Victoria faced away from him to hide her trembling face. "It's been so long. I never asked about the state we lived. And it wouldn't matter if I ever returned anyway." she turned her head back. "After they were done rounding us up, Jeremiah's father and his slavers burned it to the ground. Just for fun."

Louis almost stood up to say something, but Victoria was already far off. He slumped back in his seat and decided to leave her be. Best not to push it right now. She was right, they must focus on the trip first. For now. "Time heals all wounds, Victoria..." he while continuing his inspection. "Ah, finally, another good bullet!"

()()()

Doug did his own inspection on his weapons. His cargo jacket draped over the seat and box cap on the table. Just like Louis, his weapons laid before him to reload. The Browning 9mm pistol, the double barrel sawed-off shotgun, the Winchester rifle model 1866, fire axe and combat knife that was stabbed into the table.

The clink of a bottle made him look to Chloe, she placed a bottle of unlabeled rum and two glasses on the table. "Care for a drink? I found this in a desk." the raven hair Synth asked.

"More like a barrel." Doug chuckled lightly.

Chloe put a glass in front of him and popped the cork. The brownish liquid filled both glasses as Chloe sat down across from him. Both lifted their glasses and clinked them together before taking the first drinks.

"So...you and Louis going to be okay?" she asked after a few moments.

"Oh, God, please tell me you didn't hear that..." Doug sighed, he worried someone overheard them.

"Just bits and pieces. Do you guys often argue like that?" Chloe asked before taking another drink.

"Not often. Usually." Doug took a big gulp. "Despite him being born in a Vault and me born on a farm, we've managed to form a very odd friendship."

"Have you ever been in his Vault?"

"A few times. Went to the pool, the library, rec room, gym, the cafeteria a few times." he finished filling a magazine of his 9mm. "But I never stayed long. Couldn't stand the claustrophobia of it, I could never figure out how anyone can stand living in those places."

"You said before your town trades with his Vault, right?"

"They do. But Louis didn't come out until he was around six years old or so." Doug finished his glass and placed it down.

Chloe stopped herself from taking another drink, a surprised look all over her face.

"Not like that! Guess that came out wrong." Doug held his glass up. "More, please."

Chloe refilled the glasses in kind. They sat for a moment in silence, Chloe pulled out her plasma pistol to inspect it.

"Did you find any ammo for your plasma weapons?" he asked to end the silence.

Chloe sighed and put the plasma rifle away. "No, surprisingly. No plasma cartridges or fusion cells for my Institute rifle."

"Hmm, now that you mention it, you've never used it yet. Is there a reason why?" Doug finally had a reasonable excuse to ask about the bulky white and red weapon.

She faced away, not even sure how to answer. Very rarely had she used the weapon during her years as merc. "I don't use it much. Mostly a memento I suppose. It was one of the few weapons my father took when he left the Institute. A reminder of his past if I had to guess."

"I suppose that makes sense, and you don't see that kind of weapon everywhere." Doug said while finishing another magazine.

"If there was one thing good about the Institute as my father would say," Chloe took another sip. "They were very clean and tidy."

"I'll bet that place would be a sight to see." Doug finished off his second drink.

"Pray you never do." Chloe's tone changed. "Despite the peace now, the Institute was a place full of secrets that crossed the line too many times. My father was haunted for years by the work they did."

"I think when this is all over, a lot of things are going to haunt us." Doug sighed sharply.

"Good things there will always be something to drink..."

()()()

Inez placed another one of Asimov's armor pieces onto the pile next to him. It took almost an hour to strip him down and inspect the internal damage. "Let's see, you're not as damaged as I thought...but you're not well off either. Looks like I'm going to be pulling an all nighter..."

"You need to sleep. Today has been exhausting for all of you." Asimov said, he could tell she was weary.

"Not until you're fixed. You are literally on a life support." she pointed to the power cables connected to the generator. "So to speak..."

"Then maybe we can help?"

Inez turned to face the group that came up from behind her. Louis held up two fusion cores in his hand like an offering.

"Where did you get those?!" she pointed at the yellow cylinder like cores, looking upon them like lost artifacts.

"I've had one for a bit to see if someone would pay a lot of caps for it." he placed the two fusion cores down. "The other one and several more were up in Spark's room. Seems like he was hoarding more than just porn."

"You just continue to keep on giving, don't you?" Inez picked up one to examine. "But at least Asimov will be back to full power." she set it back down on the table. "But why are you all here?"

"We figured you could use a couple of hands." Victoria answered.

"As the old saying goes, many hands make light work." Joe sparked up a cigarette, using his hands indeed.

"Not all of us are engineering geniuses like you, but just tell us what to do and we'll follow." Louis grabbed one of Asomiv's armor pieces. "For starters, Wayland is pretty good with metalwork. He can help buff this plating."

"A Super Mutant that works with metal? This I got to see." Inez smiled towards him. Wayland smiled bashfully while rubbing the back of his head.

Inez loaded Asimov with two new fusion cores into his back and disposed of the old ones. They tossed them far away outside in case of a possible fusion meltdown. After that the hangar was filled with the sounds of power tools and pounding metal. Wayland, Doug and Joe worked together on Asimov's armor plates with welding torches to seal the cracks and a metal press to hammer out the dents. But even with their efforts there would be noticeable scratches left over, and Asimov never had a fresh off the assembly line to begin with.

The rest helped Inez with whatever she needed, either by giving tools she asked for or assisting with something that needed more than two hands. Louis did his own task by extracting bullets lodged into his joints and frame. After awhile there was a small pile of dented and fragmented bullets. Inez liked to poke fun at Asimov by saying he was 'naked' or down to the 'bare bones' of his body. Asimov just sat patiently while they worked, neither bothered or affected by Inez's harmless jokes.

With help the wanderers finished in two hours and had Asimov back to full optimization. All loose wires reattached, screws and bolts tightened, actuators calibrated, and internal parts realigned. Soon after, Asimov's armor pieces were refitted back onto his dark gray frame and moved around to make sure everything was lining up correctly.

After that they called it a night. Most of them pretty much fell asleep as soon as their heads hit the pillows of their cots. The one Wayland slept on creaked under his weight with his legs dangling off at the sides. They enjoyed a good rest that night, knowing Asimov and the Sentry Bot stood watch over them.

March 22/2296

The sun began to rise as the wanderers awoken to the sunlight pouring in through the holes in the wall and ceiling. The cot Wayland slept on broke under his weight during the night, yet he didn't stir at all and was surprised to see it broken beneath him when he woke.

Following Joe's idea, the open trailer was loaded up with the goods they found. Louis clicked the padlock close around the chains he wrapped on the Sentry Bot's back leg. They assembled a makeshift hitch of chains to keep the trailer leveled while being pulled across the Wasteland. More of their findings was thrown in and secured as everyone started to climb in.

"Okay, I think that's the last of it." Louis brushed his hands off. "Where's Joe?"

"I think he was checking the Rust Devils to see if they had anything of value." Victoria said as she came up beside him and threw a duffle bag in.

"Wasn't there a bunch of vultures circling the bodies?..." Doug asked.

"Fuck off you damn birds! I'm not a corpse!" Joe's voice echoed to their ears, along with the sounds of dry screeches.

Inez and Asimov came out through the hole, the mechanic genius tore apart the terminal for extra measure. Later she will tell Garry about the bots so he and others could come by and disassemble them. No sense in letting materials like that go to waste.

"So when will you ask them if we can join?" Asimov questioned.

"I'll do that when we get back. I don't think now is a good time." Inez answered him before they joined up with the others.

Joe was the last to get in after a fruitless search and fending off a few buzzing scavengers. They loaded up on the trailer and sat near the corners to look out for possible ambushes. Louis climbed up the Sentry Bot's back and hanged off near the right shoulder like a proverbial monkey to guide it. Before giving an order, he looked back at the Rust Devils accompanied by flies and more vultures coming. A stab of regret hit his heart again, he was still responsible for the slaughter no matter the means.

But he turned his thoughts away from it and gave the order to move. The Sentry Bot moved, the trailer lurched forward from the sudden pull as everyone held on to be thrown off. After a couple of adjustments, Louis got the bot moving at comfortable speed to keep the trailer steady as possible on their way back to Trader's Haven.

The trip took two hours thanks to the bot's speed. Nothing slowed them down during the ride, only the occasional critter that ran from the loud noise alone. It wouldn't be long before the people saw them approaching, to which they shouted and waved their arms to get their attention. The newly rebuilt gate in progress opened with several waiting guards that welcomed them in.

Inez spotted Garry in the crowd near his shop, a small smile crept up on his face when he saw her. The wanderers hopped off the trailer and started unloading while being bombarded with questions by the eager crowd. But before any of that could be answered, Louis gave the Sentry Bot one last order so it would no longer be a threat. Shutdown and disconnect.

Next they sold off the loot, raking in about six thousand caps, a good portion of that came from auctioning off the Sentry Bot for scrap. They stocked up in Garry's shop for ammo and supplies, Joe finally got ammo for his combat shotgun, Webley MK 4, and Sako 85 rifle. Chloe got plenty of plasma cartridge to spare, along with Wayland and Victoria stocking up too.

"That's quite an ordeal you all went through." Garry said to the Vault dweller from behind his counter. "And we were about to pull together a group to come get you guys."

"Well, that's the gist of it." Louis gave the shopkeeper a quick rundown about what they went through.

Inez stocked some of the tools they took to be sold. Soon she will ask them, but no matter their answer she and Asimov had to move on.

"Hey, do you have anymore shotgun shells?" Doug asked after not finding any on the ammo shelf.

"Hmm, I'll check the back. Give me a few minutes." Garry turned around and left through the backroom door.

Now was her chance, Inez looked to Asimov for courage. The Assaultron met her eyes and nodded to continue, knowing she could do it. Every journey started with one big step, and asking to come along was their first. Inez came up in front of Louis, figuring he was the best one to start with.

"Oh, what's up, Inez?" the Vault dweller ask, not even noticing the nervous look on her face. "Looks like we'll be heading out soon. Want to cover as much ground before night." he reached his hand out. "It was nice meeting someone as talented as you."

Louis expected her to shake his hand, but instead she placed a hand over his and lowered it. "About that, there's something I've been wanting to ask you."

All the attention in the room turned to her upon those words. Having all those eyes on her didn't help.

"Is...everything okay, Inez?" Louis didn't like the long silence.

"Please let us come with you guys!" she blurted out quickly and surprisingly. "I know I'm not very strong or a skilled gunner, and Spark was the only person I've killed. But I can be useful in another way! For starters, Asimov doesn't need to sleep and eat. And I can use my skills to fix your weapons and other things that people can pay me to do."

The room stayed quiet, not sure how to answer before Louis started speaking. "Uh, Inez, this is so sudden. Why do you want to come with us anyway."

"I'm sorry, but I overheard you and Doug talking last night about a signal you're following. So a small part of that perked my curiosity. But what I really want is to do what my parents did and help others so my talents won't be used to hurt people like those Rust Devils wanted to." Inez started to feel more calm as she talked. "If I can fix war robots, then I can fix just anything else you can think of. I promise not to slow you down."

"Inez, listen," Joe held a hand up. "It's a nice offer, but tinkering with machines won't help in a fight."

"That is why you will have me." Asimov stepped in to the conversation. "As she said, I require no rest or nourishment. And wherever she goes, I go too. We will help you all, but we must know the details of your mission."

"Hold on a second, we haven't made a decision yet." Doug frowned at the robot for being nosy.

"What Doug means is we need a few minutes to talk this over." Louis piped in.

Inez let a breath out, the one she held from fear of being denied. "Of course. I need to tell Garry anyway. Come on, Asimov."

The two left the wanderers alone to talk amongst themselves on whether or not to let them come. Inez closed the door behind her and leaned against the wall to fend off her wobbling knees.

"I guess I shouldn't be surprised they didn't just welcome us in..."

"Trusting others is hard to come by in this world." Asimov spoke. "Despite them coming to save you, we're still strangers."

A clatter made them turn to Garry, who just came out from the back room with the ammo Doug requested. "You have something to say to me, Inez?"

She approached her boss, wondering how he would feel of her leaving. But before she could get one word out, Garry reached behind his back belt and held up a sack of caps. "There's about two hundred in here. It's not much, but it should help you out for a bit."

"Uh, Garry, why are you-"

"I overheard you talking to them. These walls are kinda thin." he placed the caps on a nearby table. "You two want to see the Wasteland. And your skills can help a lot of people."

"But you seem so calm about it. To be honest I thought you would be upset." Inez said, she looked to the caps in the sack and it felt like a final paycheck. "We've been working together for five years."

"I won't deny I'm a little upset." Garry kept his tone and face straight as ever. "Even so, I can't keep you from doing what you feel is right. Now get ready, I'm not the kind of guy for teary goodbyes."

Inez didn't know what to say, so she just threw her arms around him and held tight. "Thank you for everything. We will never forget you..."

Garry slowly returned it with one arm, he was not the kind of person to show too much emotions. "I've already had my time in the Wasteland. Now it's your turn to make a name for yourself. Your parents would be proud, wherever they are..."

"What will you do once we're gone?" Asimov asked.

"Eh, I'll probably get a new kid. This place needs an extra pair of hands."

Inez released him and picked up the sack of caps. She wanted to decline it, but Garry was stubborn with every decision he made. So there was no way he would take it back. Now all she needed was to hear the wanderer's decision.

()()()

"Well, if everyone is cool with it, then I'm fine either way." Doug gave his answer.

Joe grumbled with a conflicted frown. "I won't deny they can be useful. But she's very inexperienced in a fight. We're gonna have to be firm and quickly teach her. Even if we have someone like Asimov with us."

"I'm okay with her coming along too." Victoria smirked. "To be honest, it's a little boring with just you guys..."

"I second that." Chloe said with a raised hand. "I might be technically under contract with you guys, but there's only so much people with guns can do."

"I like her. She's very nice." Wayland thought about the first time he met her two days ago. "She didn't scream because I'm a Super Mutant, she screamed because she liked my minigun."

"Then it's decided. We're all in favor of both them joining." Louis looked down to Cavall near him. "What do you think, boy?"

Cavall's tail wagged with excitement and barked happily to whatever it was he said.

The creak of the backroom door ended their conversation. Inez and Asimov noticed their silence and figured they came to an answer. Louis looked back to his friends, a few nodded in response, collectively figuring he was the best person to tell her.

"So, Inez and Asimov..." he spoke as if he was about to break some bad news. But he couldn't hide the creeping smile on his face for long. "Pack what you need. We're letting you come."

"Really? You guys mean it?!" it took all of Inez's willpower to not cry with joy.

"It's like you said," Victoria spoke happily to her. "Your skills can help us a lot."

"And Asimov's mechanical power is a nice addition." Joe cleared his throat. "As long as he doesn't try to blow himself up."

"I promise that won't happen again." Asimov responded.

Inez turned around and headed to her room in the back. "I'll pack my things! What do I need? I need my toothbrush! Definitely need that!" she questioned herself.

Her room became a clutter of packing noises, a large duffle bag rested on her bed and almost overflowing with tools. Inez dug out her closet, packed two more RobCo jumpsuits and casual shirt and pants. She owned only a handful of regular clothes. She got a holster for the newly acquired Beretta M9 since she needed to be armed and ready for anything. Asimov watched her pack, adding up the weight in her duffle bag. And he didn't like the amount to it.

"Don't you think you have too much?..." Asimov asked her.

"I need to be prepared. You know the Wasteland is full of surprises." Inez reached under her bed and pulled out a pet project she made. "There you are!"

The device was a handmade electric charger. Its trigger made from a caulking gun to create a charge that built up in a cylinder of copper wire and conductors. Above it housed a charge gauge that went from green to yellow to red. Raveled on the side held four different cables, two with mini jumper clamps, a wall outlet and amp jack. All of it held together by a metal bar and frame, making it comfortable enough to hold and carry.

"I thought I lost this thing." Inez placed it in the duffle. "Never know when something needs a charge."

She zipped the bag close and tried lifting it up. But soon the weight of it became very clear that she wouldn't get anywhere like that. Something Asimov knew would happen.

"I told you it would be too heavy..."

"No! I...got..it..." she turned around as the bag straps began to slip. "See? I...can..."

The duffle slipped out, but Asimov quickly grabbed it before the tools hit the floor. "You will only slow yourself down this way." he placed the bag back on her bed. "Let's try this again. I've already thought up of a more efficient method of packing."

Everything was taken out of the bag and replaced with a backpack. They packed a screwdriver set, wrench set, socket wrench set, a hammer, power drill and drill bits. A basic set of tools without having a dozen of each this time. Inez took a big tool belt with pouches and packed several more tools like allen wrenches, lock picks, an odd amount of nuts and bolts, and even a multi-tool pocket knife that was a limited edition item from Vault-Tec. The last piece looped to her belt was a red pipe wrench, both for heavy work and a possible melee weapon if needed.

Inez checked herself one more time before throwing on the dusty backpack. She hid the fusion cores at the bottom, items those valuable needed to be well hidden. "Well, nothing ventured, nothing gained." she said while looking at the small mirror in her room, almost not recognizing herself.

"All adventures begin with one step." Asimov came up beside her, a place he will always be. "Let's not keep them waiting any longer."

They stepped out from her room and met the waiting wanderers. Seven now made nine, Inez gave Garry one last big hug before stepping out of his shop.

"Ready for this, Inez?" Louis asked as he adjusted the Pip-Boy signal.

Inez's eyes looked around the town that had been her home for the last five years after her parents made her stay behind so they could handle a personal task. Another part of the reason she wanted to leave was to find them and ask why they had to stay behind. "I'll miss this place. But I'm ready to move on."

They pressed on towards the gate, the people saw them off with farewells and thanks since she had fixed just about everything there at least once. Garry watched his assistant leave, his mind racing with worry on the possible and horrible things that could happen to her. But consider what they went through just to save her, he convinced himself she was in very good hands.

But that left him with one problem. He had no assistant. Not far from his shop stood a teenage boy also watching Inez and Asimov leave. A smile came on his face.

"Hey, kid..."

The boy turned around to him. "Uh, yeah?"

"Come on in. I need a new assistant and you could probably use an honest paying job." Garry turned and opened the door to his shop. "Hurry up, don't keep me waiting. You got a lot to learn..."

The young man didn't argue. Truth was he needed a job, so he followed his new employer in.

With a heavy rattle, the gates slowly closed behind the growing group. Signaling that Inez had truly left her home on an adventure she still didn't know the details to.

"So, Louis, while we're on the move, what is it you guys are doing?" Inez asked, not knowing the surprise she was in for.

"Right, details to the trip." he showed her the screen. "It all started back in the town me and Doug came from."

"Don't worry, Inez, I'll be sure to fact check his story." Doug cut in.

()()()()()()()()()

Alden flopped against the outside wall of an old building, leaving a streak of blood as he fell to his knees. Moving caused his dry wounds to seep with blood again after spending the night buried under a pile of metal from the tank explosion. It was a miracle that he even survived the night. All his limbs were covered with cut and burns, his armor nothing but hanging pieces. Even if he did get medical help, amputation on all of them was likely since they already began to fester with the smell of gangrene.

The former second in command pushed open the door into the nameless building. There was nowhere else he could go, no one to turn to. Nothing else but to wait for death to take him, the only regret he had was not ending Spark's life first. He slumped against a wall near a broken window, everything around him began to blur from blood loss, already beginning to slip away. He hoped whatever animal that might find him ended up choking on his flesh.

A crunch of dirt snapped him back to consciousness, Alden's eyes wandered around for whoever or whatever came in. But soon the answer to his question came, Alden's body trembled upon seeing the benefactor that lead them to the fort. The Rust Devil wished he could just die right now.

"You? Why are you here?..." he asked with fear laden in his ragged voice.

"What happened here?" the benefactor demanded with an emotionless, cold and synthesized tone.


	25. PARADISE'S RAID

**CHAPTER 25: PARADISE'S RAID.**

" _Paradise was made for tender hearts; hell, for loveless hearts." -Voltaire._

March 28/2296

Six days passed since Inez and Asimov joined with the wanderers. They had just left the county of Roscoe and into the very border of Pennsylvania. Above them was an endless sky of various grays that cast a tense gloom on the group. But Inez kept her spirits up, after learning about their self-appointed mission, she was giddy about finding a forgotten place filled with prewar tech. Louis explained to her that was simply one of the possible theories at the end of the signal, but it didn't stop her from holding on to hope.

"So what will you do once we find this place?" Inez just couldn't stop asking him questions.

"I don't know..." Louis had been wondering that himself. "We need to find out what it is. That's the first task at hand."

Doug held a folded map in his hands plotting the next best route through the state. Everyone kept point to guard each other and rotated their shifts. For some reason the barren land kept them on edge, maybe it was the endless gray overcast, or that there was no signs of any civilization for days. The state might have suffered more decay from the Great War, not even a radroach had crossed their path. Whatever the cause, their hands stayed close to their holsters, ready for any surprise that sprang up.

The old road beneath their feet crumbled with each step. And the land was practically barren with barely a dead hedge or bush to be seen. Any towns they saw in the distance looked stripped down to almost nothing. Cracks ran across the bone dry ground, as if the land hadn't have a drop of water for over two hundred years.

Joe especially didn't like the feel of this land. Places like this were filled with horrible stories or things that sounded supernatural and bizarre. It made his bones ache the further they got. "I really don't like this place. Something about it is making the few hairs on the back of my neck stand on end..."

Wayland nodded. "I miss the sun..."

"This cloud cover does seem endless." Asimov spoke monotone as ever. "It's possible that the fallout of the Great War caused this unusual weather pattern."

"Louis, are you sure you're reading your Pip-Boy right?" Chloe asked, the gloom started to drag her down.

"As I said before, yes." he answered while checking the screen. "I don't like this place either. So let's pick up the pace to get out of this area quicker."

"It's only two hours before noon, yet it feels like night is close." the endless gray clouds threw Doug off his sleep cycle. "That reminds me, what's our sleep situation? Because I don't want to sleep in the open again, no matter who's on guard duty."

"Unless we come across a decent enough building, we're ruffing it in the open again." Louis knew he was right about the dangers of sleeping outside and wanted to keep moving to find a place for shelter.

Victoria looked ahead for signs of something different against the endless gray sky. And soon she stopped in her tracks upon seeing a glow of pale orange and yellow in the distance. "Guys, hold on. Look at that." she pointed them towards the light.

Soon everyone spotted the glow several meters ahead. With caution they pressed on as the light got brighter the closer they got with the sounds of throbbing, voiceless music. And soon the trek up the steep hill revealed what laid before them three miles ahead, an oddity they could have never expected.

A barren town, stripped down to nothing but its frames and foundations. There was nothing of value to find, it was a nameless place long forgotten. But that was not the source of the light and pounding music, at the very south end of the town laid four factories lined in a row. Spotlights and neon shined upwards, the only source of light against the murky gray. They could see people coming and going at the entrance which seemed to be once the employee parking lot. All around and in between each factory appeared to be structures made of any materials that could be scrounged up, giving the place a vast perimeter that fenced off the outside and turned it into a well covered shanty town. Above the entrance hanged a long neon sign of flashing colors, they couldn't really make out what it said from the distance.

"What the hell is this place?" Louis asked to break the silence.

"And what's with all the lights and music?" Victoria wondered next.

"This reminds me of the things I've heard about New Vegas." Joe stroked his chin. "Always wanted to go to Nevada..."

Chloe also felt at odds with the place. Everything about it felt like a red flag. "Perhaps we should pass this place up. I got a bad feeling about it."

"It's the only place we've seen in the last few days. We can see if they have places to sleep." Inez suggested.

"She is right." Asimov stepped forward. "And we can get better directions from someone."

"You know, I think we should check this place out." Louis looked at the place like a vacation destination. "In fact, I think we could all use a break. Who knows, this place might actually be fun."

Cavall barked with excitement, wagging his tail and patting his front paws around.

Doug didn't bother fighting the issue. "Fine, let's check it out." he huffed against the slight chill of the air. "At least here we can't come across any trouble."

"I just want something to eat..." Wayland spoke to himself.

It didn't take them long to walk the three miles, and during that trip they began to see more of the strange location's theme. Near the wide entrance stood dozens of people drinking and dancing around bonfires and barrel fires, evident of the ground littered with empty bottles of all shapes and sizes. At last they stopped ten feet away from the entrance and got a good look at the sign that flashed different colors of bold neon lights.

Paradise's Raid.

"Well...that's an interesting title..." Doug scratched the side of his head, not knowing what to make of it.

Joe just scoffed. "The name sucks."

"Hey, doesn't the people here seem kind of...unusual?" Victoria asked as a few people with metal claded armor passed them.

Louis' eyes widen upon what she said. The people around them were strangely dressed, some with leather armor or metal plating covered in spikes. Others had tattoos or strange patterns painted on their clothes. Another group had Mohawks while another had chains hanging from their suits. The odd patterns and designs went on and on, and at first they didn't see it until another group of people passed them dressed in the common gear of Raiders.

"Holy shit! Guys, we're surrounded by Raiders!" Louis alerted them. "All of these people are Raiders!"

In that instant the wanderers grouped up. They couldn't believe they didn't notice right away, and after they just dealt with a pack of Rust Devils almost a week ago. None of the various Raiders seemed to pay the group any mind other than the casual glance, most were too drunk and having too much fun to notice or care.

"Everyone, let's back away slowly." Joe's hand rested on his Webley. "I don't know what's going on here, but we better go."

"That area to the left is the least crowded," Louis saw a clear opening. "On my signal, we'll make a dash for it. Get ready and-"

"Hey new bros and sisters! Welcome one and all!" a shrill, sharp voice cut out.

The surprises of the strange place just kept coming. A bald man leaped in front of them as if coming out of thin air. But what made him more weird was the fact he only wore a crude leather briefs and ankle high sandals, and boxing tape wrapped around his forearms. A thin leather harness wrapped around his dirty and scraggily chest with three poles poking upwards behind his back, at the ends rested three baby doll heads covered in nails and odd marks.

"I can tell just by looking at you fellas that you're new to this place!" the bald man danced with a crude staff.

It felt like minutes passed as they stood and stared. Their minds boggling with uncomfortable confusion upon seeing this underdressed jester dancing around.

"Aw, don't be like that, bros and sisters! Just step on in to paradise! Where everything you want is waiting!"

"Okay, just stop for a minute." Louis held his hand out before he shot the man where he stood. "You're right, we're new here. So why don't you stop dancing like there's ants in your pants and explain."

"Ahh! For you see, that is my job! I am the official gate greeter of..." he paused for a moment before throwing his arms out and shouting. "Paradise's Raid!" several people around cheered before moving on.

"Yeah, we got that from the sign. So explain what it's all about." Chloe pointed towards it.

"What's it about?! Why, everything!" the bald Raider grinned, clearly loving his greeting job. "Here, Raiders of all kinds come together with traders and people just looking for a good time!"

The group took a better look around, and as the bald Raider said, caravan traders and travelers passing through mingled with the various Raider clans. Even a Brahmin caravan bringing in supplies was welcomed by the people at the gate.

"How...does a place like this even happen? How do people just party with these killers?!" Doug asked, all his life he was told not to trust Raiders.

"Easy! This place has a strict set of rules to follow! Everybody wins, everybody is happy!"

"And the rules are?..." Joe inquired.

"Oh, why spoil the fun?! You guys will quickly pick it up!" the gate greeter started dancing around again to their annoyance.

"I'm probably going to regret asking this," Victoria just couldn't help but ask about his scantily choice of clothes. "But what's with your outfit?"

"I am a proud member of the Naked Ravagers!" he boldly proclaimed.

"I regret it already..."

"We face our enemies in battle almost, if not completely naked! We are born naked, so we'll die naked and free!"

"You'll catch a cold that way." Wayland spoke, he never understood why humans got so personal with clothes.

"Okay, I think we've officially hit crazy town." Inez expected to come across weird things, but not this soon. And being surrounded by Raiders only made it worse.

Asimov didn't need to read her facial cues to know she was distressed. "Perhaps we should circle around this location. It will take longer, but it's better than wandering into unknown territory."

"Oooh, no can do, metal dude!" the Naked Ravager wagged his finger. "That's one of our most strict rules! Nobody is allowed anywhere outside other than the entrances! There are guards posted all over the walls and towers! People and critters always try to break in!"

Louis looked to the Pip-Boy, and as he feared, the signal was pointing straight through. "Then we have no choice. The signal is pointing straight through." he looked back to the bald Raider. "How safe will we be inside?"

"As safe as you want, as long as you have the caps, bro!" he wiggled his brows.

"Stop saying that!" the Vault dweller's fists clenched.

"The point is, follow the rules, don't piss off the High Lookers, and most importantly...always pay back your debts." he warned while leaning forward. "Other than that, you'll have a great time!" he backed up with a smile.

"Alright, whatever." Louis muttered and checked his backpack. "Secure your gear, guys. Just in case..."

"And here I thought I've seen it all..." Joe said while lighting up a cigarette.

The wanderers paused at the gate, the buzzing lights welcomed them from high above. Yet it felt more like a twisted trap waiting to go off as soon as they stepped in. But regardless of the danger by passing through, they didn't want to take the chance going around if the bald Raider was telling the truth about guards.

Once they entered, their eyes squinted to the light shining on them after days of being in the shadowy gray. High above hanged light bulbs, florescent lights, and even burning gas lamps helped illuminate the ceiling made from canopies and metal supports. They couldn't help but be amazed at the work put into the place, stores and shops lined up on both sides and seemed to stretch on forever. Wires and cables ran across and dangled from the metal and wooden struts, providing power from hidden generators. A brick structure started to become visible, it was the first factory ahead. In another feat of restructuring, a large section of the lower wall had been torn open to allow more space and compensated with metal beams to keep the ceiling from collapsing. Catwalks hanged under the makeshift ceilings, they couldn't see where they began or ended. It seemed like they just stretched on forever out of view.

Hordes of people and Raiders filled the dirt and concrete covered ground, nearby shopkeepers called to any random person to buy their wares. Groups of people wandered aimlessly, a great deal of them either drunk or partying like it's their last day to live. They identified several different groups of Raiders, each with their own _unique_ styles.

One group had rainbow colored Mohawks, another with clothes made of leather straps and belts, others with metal spikes covering their armor. Two people were seen arguing in front of their groups, one man with animal bones woven on his leather armor, the other had the front part of a human skull covering his face above the mouth.

Shops weren't the only thing lining the path, prostitutes of both gender stood around to draw in customers with skimpy clothes that left little to the imagination. Some even wore what looked like bondage gear for customers with special taste.

"Just about every prostitute you can imagine is here..." Victoria grimaced, yet she also felt sorry for them. She had seen many people being sold off as sex slaves, and those were the more lucky ones.

"It can't be helped." Chloe said as a male prostitute winked at her. "Places like this prey on the desperate just to get through the day while selling their bodies piece by piece."

"All the more reason to get out of here." Louis looked around for any sense of direction. "There's got to be directions somewhere in all this clutter."

"If directions is what you all need, I'd be happy to help..."

A new man stood beside the group, wearing a black suit and fedora, holding a clipboard against his chest.

"Oh, goody, it's...this guy..." Joe pointed with his smoke.

"My, are you the comedian we've been waiting for? I was told he's a Ghoul..." the black suit man jokingly asked.

Inez looked him over, even his shoes were nicely polished. "I have a feeling you're not a Raider, are you?"

"My goodness, I'm afraid not. I am known as an Itinerary Man." he held the thick clipboard forward to show. "Men and women, yes, we have Itinerary Women, we help direct people and tell them about current and upcoming events."

"I suppose that makes sense." Asimov stated. "This place is a maze."

"It can be a little crazy if you don't know your way around." the Itinerary Man smiled a crooked grin. "And if you don't mind me saying, you people are probably the strangest newcomers I've ever seen. And that's saying something..."

"Great, _we're_ the weird ones..." Louis said as Cavall nudged his hand, to which he petted him in return. "So if you know things, then tell us the story about this place."

"Excellent, I love giving telling people about the history of this place." he cleared his throat and fixed his fedora. "These four factories were once the pride of this forgotten town. Almost everyone back then had a job here. The first one was a steel mill. The second a food processing plant. The third a vehicle factory. And the fourth a power plant. The details of why each factory was built so close to one another are sketchy, but a lot of people believed it was to cut down on costs of making the foundation and travel for the workers."

"People tried all kinds of things to use less resources..." Joe finished his smoke and flicked it. "Fat lot of good that did..."

"And as you all know, the bombs dropped and the world went to shit. The factories stood dead for a few decades. Then about a hundred and thirty years ago, a big caravan came across this place. And over the years and generations, the factories that were once a safe place to live grew into a hub of trade and pleasure! The people that found this place managed to hire a roaming group of Raiders as bodyguards. That's how Raiders today can enjoy this place without hurting anyone. They even stripped the town throughout the decades for materials to expand this marvelous place. Now everyone can eat and drink, sleep and party, gamble and enjoy the pleasures of the world before! That's our motto in Paradise's Raid."

"Yeah, I'll bet guys really like the pleasure part..." Victoria scoffed, places like this were built to attract sick perverts.

"Oh, no, we would never cater to just men. We offer a wide range of sexual activities in our Red Light District. There's working women for men, working men for women, and vice versa, specialty rooms for every kind fetish you can imagine and some you might have never thought of." the Itinerary Man looked through the pages of his clipboard. "In fact, if you ladies are in for something quick and efficient without much mess, there's always a Mr. Pleaser around."

"What the hell is th-" Inez began to say.

"Look! There's one now! Mr. Pleaser!" he waved to it.

A Mr. Handy quickly floated up to them. "Hello, how can I be of service?!" it asked in its usual chipper tone. "Seems like I have three lovely customers."

Before they could even say anything, the reprogrammed Mr. Handy lifted its three arms. And attached at the ends of those modified arms, three long green and red and black dildos connected to metal bars to pump the sex toys up and down.

Their jaws felt like falling off, Asimov almost couldn't process it, Joe dropped his newly lit cigarette, Wayland just looked at the toys confusingly, and Cavall tilted his head, sensing everyone's awkward mood.

"I have a multitude of setting! For ten caps each I will please you ladies with whatever you like!" the Mr. Pleaser raised its arms higher. "The most popular function to date is...the jackhammer!" all three dildos started reciprocating until they began to blur just like a jackhammer head.

"Alright, that's enough! Just stop! For the love of god, just stop!" Chloe shouted in disgust. She had to hold her wrist to not grab the plasma pistol at her hip.

"If you change your minds I am always around this section." the Mr. Pleaser lowered its arms, not even picking up on their offence. "Ah, if you'll excuse me, I have a regular waving for me!" it turned and floated towards its next customer.

"I feel...very disturbed..." Victoria shivered, that image won't be leaving anytime soon.

"I suppose I sprung that on you all." the Itinerary Man casually flipped through the pages, clearly he had seen everything in Paradise's Raid. "Most newcomers are hesitant at first. Give it some time and you people won't want to leave anytime soon!"

"Actually, we're just passing through." Joe picked up his smoke and blew it off. "And the sooner the better..."

"I understand. Just keep heading straight and you'll eventually find the way out. Paradise's Raid is full of winding paths that could take a few hours." he looked towards Wayland. "And we don't mind the robot, but just be sure to keep that... _thing_...on a short leash. Wouldn't want any of the High Looker with an itchy trigger finger to have a reason to shoot it. So, goodbye!" he waved before turning around to leave.

Louis' fist curled, he was about to reach out and stop the man to give him a piece of his mind. Wayland quickly grabbed him by the shoulder to stop him from doing something that will get them all in trouble.

"It's fine, Louis..." the Super Mutant whispered.

The Vault dweller calmed down, no point in wasting words on a shady man like him. Joe also took heed to the warning and slowly turned his eyes upward to the catwalks. He spotted a burly man looking down from up above wearing clean black clothes, a bulletproof vest with pads and sunshades. Strapped to his back was a long gun case packing a strong firearm. The man scanned the crowd for troublemakers and focused on the group.

With a bearing to go on, the wanderers pushed forward through the ever growing crowd. Suddenly, the people shifted forward in their direction, which forced the wanderers to pick up the pace or get trampled. The crowd only grew in size as they lost their direction thanks to being herded like cattle until coming to a stop somewhere inside the first factory. Just like all around the outside, the inside had been added on to the point of almost being impossible to recognize what it once was before.

High above rested an open balcony made from wooden planks and concrete. The crowd looked up to it and waited while talking to each other. The wanderers could barely move in the crowd to meet up in the center. Before they could say a word to each other, the crowd started cheering as someone stepped out from the dark opening.

A man in a sharp suit and sunshades and black hair combed back and held firmly by gel. He stood near the edge and placed his white glove hands on the concrete rails and looked down on the people and smiled while removing his shades.

"It fills my heart with joy to see so many people in paradise!" he spoke to the crowd who cheered upon his words. "For almost a century and a half, this slice of heaven has provided for travelers and Raiders alike! We have everything you can think of and more!"

The crowd ate his words up, the group thought to themselves that the man above must run the place. Or at least one of the people that do. No way one person could manage so many locations by himself.

"We have built this community from nothing! It is people like you all that have helped this place grow and prosper!" he extended his hands out, the people only got more stirred up. "We run this land! We have more food, clean water, booze, and trade than anybody else for hundreds of miles all around! We have more security and civilization than any backwards settlement! Caps flow through these grounds, we even have more places to gamble than New Vegas! I sometimes wish the Three Families were still around so they could be envious of our wealth!"

Applause and cheers drowned the area as the man reached down and picked up a sack of caps. He jingled it around to confirm what's inside to the people, the wanderers felt this was going to get way out of hand very soon as he opened it and reached in.

"So enjoy your time here, both regular and new comers! And have a couple of rounds on me!"

A handful of caps rained down on the hands reaching up. People slugged it out or crawled on the ground just to get a few caps. The man tossed a few more handfuls until the bag was half empty. The wanderers got swept up in the tide of bodies and separated from each other. Louis was pushed the farthest away from his friends and got turned around, it was like swimming against a current. So he pushed his way out and hoped his friends had the same idea as more people filled in.

The man on the balcony turned away and fixed his tie as the smile on his face turned to a scowl. "Fucking animals. Crawl around in your filth."

Several minutes passed until the crowd moved on with handfuls of caps while some laid on the ground unconscious. Doug spotted Inez and Victoria and waved them down. Wayland, Asimov and Cavall rushed up, and finally Joe and Chloe pushed past a staggering drunk that was in their way.

"Has anyone seen Louis?" Doug asked frantically.

"I was hoping you have." Victoria answered.

"You guys don't think someone took him?" Inez worried while looking around.

"I doubt he would be taken without a struggle." Chloe commented.

"Should we split up to find him?" Wayland suggested.

"That is not a wise idea. We're still new to this place." Asimov spoke.

"Hold on, I got an idea..." Joe kneeled down in front of the large canine. "Listen up, Cavall. We need you to find Louis. Can you do that? Come on boy, sniff Louis out. I know you can do it."

Cavall perked up to hearing Louis' name. The hybrid started sniffing the ground to find his trail, everyone felt like Joe's plan was going to work as Cavall walked a few steps forward. But he came to a stop, they thought he lost the scent for a moment until his tail started wagging. Cavall turned his head to it and began chasing it around and around.

"What the hell are you doing, dog?! Find Louis!" Joe threw his hand up and through his hair. "Why did I think this would work?!"

()()()()()

Louis walked aimlessly through the dimly lit corridors, not knowing how he could have gotten so far away from them in the commotion. He tried asking a few people he passed for directions, but they either responded with drunken mumbles or too busy having fun to notice. Cheers fell upon his ears, the noise came from a hallway with a bright light at the end of it. The Vault dweller decided to chance it and see if his friends were there.

But to his disappointment, none of them were found. Instead, dozens of people gathered in the area that was once one of the factory's work floor. Everything once there had been stripped away with only impressions left behind from what Louis could see in the crowd of people.

Spread out on the floor stood six fighting rings in the shape of hexagons with chainlink fences in said shape. Spotlights shined down on the arenas, putting the focus on the fighters in each cage. Small announcer stands and betting boards covered with names and numbers were placed near each ring.

Louis rolled his eyes, it didn't surprise him a blood sport like this would be here too. Two people shoved pass him from behind and headed for the cage at the far corner where the crowd was thickest. Despite hating the idea of people fighting for entertainment, curiosity compelled him to see what the big fuss on this match was about.

He moved through the crowd and got close enough to see the fight. A man slammed against the chainlink fence, making the onlookers near it reel back for a moment before cheering again as the man slumped to his side unconscious. At the center of the ring another man fell onto his back, arching in pain as the other opponent loomed over. The crowd got more worked up as the last fighter kneeled to punch the fallen fighter in the face.

The fighter wore only black boxer pants and boxing tape wrapped all the way up his forearms and hands. His tan body showed a very strong build with faded scars all over. His brownish black hair shaved at the sides with the middle long like a Mohawk. But instead of being styled up, the hair reached pass his shoulders. On his back a tattoo of a black and gray dragon's head stretched almost all over the skin. Its horns reached to his shoulders, fangs poked out from its long maw, and its burning red and yellow eyes had a disturbing lifelike look to them. Almost as if the entire scaly head was about to peel off.

The losing opponent rolled off to his side to avoid another blow and slugged his fist outward. The dragon tattoo man blocked with his left forearm and stomped his bare foot onto the other fighter's chest to pin him. The standing fighter reached out and grabbed the man's hair and jerked his head up. The crowd knew the fight was about to end, the Raider paused for a few moments for dramatic effect before slamming his opponent's head against the ring floor and put him out of the fight.

Cheers and boos soon followed, the Raider threw both his fists up in victory to taunt the ones who bet against him. But the fight wasn't over, he forgot about the woman that jumped from behind and put him in a tight sleeper hold. The man thrashed around to throw her off, but the woman held tight and locked her legs around his waist. It seemed like the man was going to lose as he fell to his knees with his head hanging limply. But it turned out he was just showboating for the crowd, his head suddenly flung back and smacked right into her nose. Blood dripped from her crooked nostrils and her grip weakened, giving the man an opening to reach back and grab her by the tank top. She joined the other two on the floor with a loud slam that rendered her unconscious.

The victor threw his hands up again to the sounds of cheers and hateful jeers as a bell rang four times. A number of beer bottles were thrown against the fence and shattered to pieces upon impact. Sudsy beer dripped from the fence as Louis covered his head from the pieces of falling glass. The man in control of the betting board calculated the results of the win and paid the waiting winners. On the announcer stand, another neatly dressed man grabbed the hanging mic and pulled it close to his mouth.

"And the winner of the third round with an impressive three to one knockout...Radcliffe!"

The man ran up to the cage and rattled it, the knuckles of his boxing tape stained with drops of blood. His taunt only pissed off the losers while others chanted and praised his name.

"Yeah! Come on! Shout my name! Shout it loud!" He screamed to the crowd and shook the cage harder.

The chainlink door to the cage opened up, four people came in to drag out the defeated fighters as another placed a stool down at the corner. Radcliffe took a seat as the arena assistant handed him a bottle of water. The fighter took big gulps and swished it around in his mouth before spitting out a mouthful mixed with some blood. He had taken a few blows to the face earlier.

"Hey, can we get some booze in here before the next match?!" Radcliffe asked the assistant.

"You can't get drunk before fighting. Everyone fights sober so they don't have an edge."

"I was talking about giving some to my next victi- I mean opponents so they could have an edge! They needed it!" The crowd near Radcliffe's section laughed with him.

Louis huffed and decided he had wasted enough time and turned to leave. But he saw something odd on the other side of the fence, the announcer was kneeling on his stage as someone else on the floor whispered into his ear. Louis didn't think much of it until the man quickly handed the announcer a small sack, he didn't need to be told it was full of caps. The announcer quickly hid the bribe in his jacket and stood back up to grab the hanging mic.

"Ladies and gentlemen! Our next fight is about to begin!"

Radcliffe stood back up and cracked his knuckles. The assistant took the stool as four new fighters entered the ring. Three men and another woman, all of them glaring death at the Raider. The cage door slammed shut and locked, nobody leaves until only one winner stands.

"There's been a slight change to our final match! The free for all fight will commence with! Brass! Knuckles!"

Radcliffe choked on the last sip of water from the bottle. "Say what again?..."

The four fighters reached into their pockets and took out a pair and slipped them on quickly. They smiled while clicking the weapons together to get him on edge.

"Hey! Hey hold on a second! I don't got any weapons here!" Radcliffe shouted to the announcer as loud as he could over the noisy crowd. "Let me out! I didn't sign up for this! Let me out! Now!"

The announcer just shrugged his hands as if he had no control over the fight. And he didn't bother to hide his snickering grin and just ignored Radcliffe's shouts. "Place your final bets! And remember, once you enter the ring, we're not responsible for any injury or death!"

Four loud rings from the bell signaled the fight to start. One fighter with dark skin took the first plunge by charging forward. Radcliffe only had enough time to turn and block with his forearm on instinct. The blow hit hard and broke through the boxing tape and skin, leaving a rough cut that started bleeding. He used that opening to swiftly kick the fighter in the chest and knock him down.

The second fighter with a bandanna around his head used the first fighter's distraction to close in while throwing his fist. Radcliffe received a blow to the pecs and another to the collar bone. The Raider ignored the pain, failure to focus will only get him beaten. He caught the next punch with his palm, which broke his skin and drew blood again. But he got his payback and socked the bandanna fighter in the nose to throw him off. The female fighter came in from the side and punched Radcliffe in the ribs and again in the side of the stomach. Radcliffe had enough and got himself out of the corner with the three other fighters following close. The last fighter with a deep scar across his stomach bided his time, his knuckle dusters had four spikes on each one.

The crowd couldn't get enough of the fight, everyone wanted to see more blood as the ones who bet on Radcliffe began to panic and shout insults at the Raider to fight better. The odds were stacked against him, and it would be a big payoff if Radcliffe lost from what the numbers showed on the board.

"This isn't right! Those fighters are working together to beat that man!" Louis said to himself over the screaming watchers.

Even if the man is a Raider, four against one wasn't right. But he didn't know what to do, and it was unlikely he could get the fight to stop. And then it hit him, he remembered the knuckle dusters he found at the fort and searched his pockets. He found the weapons and quickly fished them out. Louis had to hurry, the crowd cluttered around him tight because everyone wanted to be as close to the fight as possible.

Radcliffe took another blow to the chest and hip that caused him to stagger. Bleeding bruises started to swell up all over his body, the four fighters started to surround him to cut off his retreat. The one with spikes on his dusters finally sprung into action by attacking from behind. Radcliffe heard the fighter coming and turned around to protect his back. With a heavy swing the fighter raked Radcliffe across the chest on the right pectoral and made four deep cuts. The attack made him stumble back and fall to his rear, the four fighters started closing in like a pack of wolves on prey.

"Hey, isn't this suppose to be a free for all?! Beat the shit out of each other already!" Radcliffe started crawling backwards towards the fence. Despite his cocky demeanor, he began to panic on the inside, the last thing he needed was to lose this fight.

Louis finally stood in front of the fence where Radcliffe crawled towards. He only had one chance before the fighters pounced to attack. The Vault dweller didn't know if this would be of any help, the man was still outnumbered, but it was better than nothing. He stood on his toes and shoved the dusters through the opening close to the floor.

"Hey! Take these! Hurry!" Louis shouted to get his attention.

Radcliffe heard the clatter of metal against the ring floor. The weapons were like a godsend, and he didn't question why the man in the blue jumpsuit and black trench coat gave them to him. The Raider rolled towards the dusters and scooped them up. In moments he laced his fingers through the holes and grinned, now it was their turn to know what being punched by knuckle dusters feel like. Something he intended to do tenfold.

The fighter with the bandanna got too cocky and dashed ahead of the others to get Radcliffe while he was down. A mistake he will pay for immensely. Radcliffe kicked outward and into the fighter's knee. A crack was heard upon impact, even over the screams of the crowd. The man wailed in agony, which made the crowd cheer for more. The bandanna fighter fell onto his back and gave Radcliffe the opening he needed to flip back onto his feet.

He wasn't done with the fallen fighter, Radcliffe's hands reached out and grabbed the fighter's ankle tight. In one swift motion he pulled the fighter towards him, the man tried to crawl away or fight back. But Radcliffe's fist slammed right between the man's eyes, the duster broke the skin deeply and left blood trickling out onto the floor. The fighter went limp from the blow as Radcliffe dished out several more heavy punches to the fighter's face until he was sure the man was out for the count.

The other three fighters stepped back, they didn't expect anyone would come to his aid. Radcliffe grinned and started clicking the dusters together, eager for one of them to make the first move. He had a reputation for fighting savagely when pissed, and being beaten all over made him seethe.

"What's wrong? You guys had no problem ganging up on me before! I only have a pair of knuckle dusters, not like I got a gun! So bring it!" Radcliffe dared them eagerly.

The three looked to each other with fear in their eyes. Nobody was allowed to quit the fight in the last round, either defeat or death was the only option.

"Just get him! He's still outnumbered!" the one with spiked dusters shouted.

The other two snapped out of it and ran forward and split up to hit Radcliffe from both sides. He dodged the first swing from the woman and sidestepped from the other man who overreached his punch and stumbled forward. Radcliffe took the opening and gave a swift punch to the ribs and twisted for good measure. The fighter fell to his knees holding his side, at least two of his ribs were cracked. Radcliffe balled his fists and landed two blows to the sides of the fighter's head at the same time. He fell over to his side holding his bruising head, the woman fighter sneaked up and gave Radcliffe three hard hits to the back.

That made him mad, it pissed him off when someone attacked him from behind. He stumbled for only a moment before spinning around with a flying fist that connected to her jaw. He felt her teeth click upon impact, the pain made her scream with blood dripping from her lips. She bit her tongue deep thanks to that punch, leaving her dazed and vulnerable for an uppercut to the chin. The fighter fell back with an arc of blood flung up into the air, to which the crowd cheered as it splattered on the floor. The last fighter's arms trembled, his partners out for the count as Radcliffe stood waiting for him to make the next move.

"Don't got much balls when your buddies are down, eh?" Radcliffe said before spitting on one of them. "But hey, I'm a little soften up from all your attacks! So come get me, you just might get lucky!"

The spiked duster fighter threw caution to the wind and charged forward screaming. He lashed out wildly, forcing Radcliffe to keep his guard up and back around the hexagon ring. His uncoordinated strikes left cuts and scrapes on Radcliffe's arms and chest, the bruises on his body made it uncomfortable to move and hurt even worse when one was hit. In that moment he came up with a plan that most would find risky and downright foolish, if not stupid.

Radcliffe suddenly left himself open to an attack. The fighter didn't think, he just went with it and threw his right fist. Pain shot through Radcliffe's left pec near the armpit, the crowd's cheer stopped for a moment, the one inch spikes of the duster punctured his skin. But that was the opening he needed, Radcliffe's right hand suddenly grabbed the fighter's wrist and held like a vice. The fighter panicked and was about to throw his other fist as Radcliffe's free hand collided with the man's vulnerable elbow. He felt the joint crack through his knuckle dusters, the fighter screamed and pulled his arm back. It hanged limply and crooked, and he couldn't hold back the tears falling from his eyes anymore.

Radcliffe looked at the four bleeding holes on his chest that started to bruise and wiped some of the blood away. He closed in to deliver the final blows and end this crooked match. The crying fighter let go of his arm and weakly threw his good fist. It was slow enough for Radcliffe to catch it under his arm and held tight. With one arm broke at the elbow and the other held firm, Radcliffe socked the man four times in the face. One in the eye, the nose, the cheek, and the last right into the forehead. Radcliffe let go and watched the man fall to his knees and gave a hard knock to the top of the head for good measure before letting the fighter fall to his side.

The bell rang, the crowd went wild, even the people who betted against him couldn't help but lightly applaud the good fight.

"Holy shit, he won..." the announcer's voice lightly echoed from the speakers. He heard his voice and fumbled with the mic and changed his tone for the audience. "I mean, shit! He won! The winner is...Radcliffe!"

Radcliffe leaned against the fence as the door opened. The attenders did their tasks and dragged out the fallen fighters, he took the dusters off and held them in his palm while trying to look for the blue jumpsuit man that gave them to him. Radcliffe spotted him near the exit of the room, the Raider figured he didn't want to stick around in case someone figured out he interfered. Which only made him wonder why a complete stranger helped him out.

"Who is that guy?" he asked himself and held the dusters tight.


	26. DEBTS TO PAY

**CHAPTER 26: DEBTS TO PAY.**

" _A man in debt is so far a slave." -Ralph Waldo Emerson._

The fighting rings continued with new matches, defeated fighters laid in a back room clinic with doctors tending to their wounds. Radcliffe left the clinic after given a stimpak for his injuries, yet the soreness would linger for awhile. In his hand was a sack of caps, forty two hundred of it jingling around as he entered the locker room area.

He tossed his boxer pants into a hamper bin and peeled off his tattered boxing tape into a trash can. A brief shower followed to get the blood and sweat off before going to his locker where his clothes were stored and went to a changing room. After a few minutes he stepped out, glad to be back in his normal wear.

The clothes had a dark brown color, the leather worn but still holding firm. He wore a black long sleeve shirt covered by an elbow long vest of thick leather that showed numerous patchwork of replaced pieces. The shoulder guards were made of rounded metal riveted to the leather and covered in scratches and small dents. Filled between the layers was strips of metal, bulletproof vest fibers, and plates of ceramic. A zipper went down the front of the vest with an equally long strip of leather with snap buttons to cover it. Covering his forearms were crude gauntlets with rectangular pads of harden leather and metal studs all over the top. He wore black gloves with the index fingers cut off and the tips on the rest. His dark brown pants had pads at the knees with two pockets on the left and one on the right. The upper right of the pants leg had a special pocket meant for holding something different.

His custom made clothes offered a large amount of protection with pockets to hold a lot. Radcliffe finished tying his steel toe boots and looked himself over in the mirror, admiring what he saw. He fixed his hair back into six unwoven dreadlocks, each held by three clasps to keep them together. All that remained was his weapons to collect.

The next room over that was once the employee lounge had been converted into a weapons storage, one of many throughout Paradise's Raid. A middle age clerk sat on a stool behind a built in counter, the room behind him had a gate stretching from floor to ceiling. The gruff man flipped through an old magazine to pass the time. His eyes rolled up to Radcliffe, who stood in front of the counter with his finger zooming down on the table bell.

The storage clerk lashed his hand out and placed it over the bell. "That won't be necessary."

"I just wanted to make sure you knew I was hear and that the bell is working." Radcliffe took his hand back and smiled.

"Smart ass." the man closed his magazine up. "Here to get your stuff back?"

"Nah! I just love looking at your crusty, pockmarked face."

"Just shut up and give me a minute..." the clerk turned around and opened up the gate door.

Radcliffe rocked back and forth on his heels until the clerk came back with his arms full. The first item he placed was tactical hatchet with a recently sharpened blade. The Raider picked it up and twirled the handle in his hand.

"Something for up close and personal." Radcliffe traced his thumb on the side of the blade before sheathing it on the right side of his pants leg.

The next item was a Ripper with an extended blade and its plastic sheath. "I took the liberty of sharpening the teeth. Trust me when I say you don't want a blunt Ripper." the clerk handed it over.

"Thanks. Clearly you want a tip from me." Radcliffe smirked while attaching the sheath to the back of his belt and securing the weapon to not slip out.

"I have a gun under this counter!" the clerk grumbled. "Speaking of guns..."

One of Radcliffe's guns was placed on the counter, an AMT Hardballer Long Slide. He picked it up and chuckled to himself and gave the seven inch slide a quick kiss.

"Now this will make someone think twice. I love this fucking Hardballer." he took the holster for it and strapped it on.

"You just like the sound of its name..." the clerk retorted.

"Your point?..."

The final weapon was lifted onto the table, an M249 SAW LMG with bipod legs, extended stock and scope. Radcliffe lifted up the weapon with one hand and looked it over.

"And here's my big baby. Who needs to be a good shot when all you got to do is shoot more bullets!" he peer down the scope and pulled the trigger of the empty gun.

"I fixed the legs, so they won't dangle around. And I replaced the cracked lense in the scope." the clerk placed the carry strap and five box magazines and ten Hardballer magazines on the table. "That will be three hundred caps for the repairs, I'll let the blade sharpening be free."

Radcliffe huffed to himself and counted the caps from his sack and gave a little tip. After that he stuffed the ammo into a long travel bag he owned that was filled with random junk and threw the bag over his shoulder and held its drawstrings.

"Take care, old timer." he waved while turning to the door.

"Tell me something, are those caps enough?..." the clerk's eyes looked to the sack at his hip.

Radcliffe sighed through his nose. "Not even close. I keep forgetting how much I owe. And I'm not a kid, I recently turned twenty six for fuck's sake..."

Knowing Paradise's Raid very well, or at least the parts that mattered to him, Radcliffe wandered out into an open market area filled with small shops. His stomach grumbled from hunger, a big piece of meat is what he craved. The Raider liked the more smaller food stands, less menu options and something simple and filling. Radcliffe came up to an open butcher shop that was one of the most cleanest ones in the areas. He watched the butcher cut meat for a few moments before looking to the hanging jerky slabs with names above on the inside.

Radcliffe licked his lips upon seeing a long slab of pork jerky. "How much for that slab over there?"

The butcher hacked off another slice of the meat he was cutting. "Twenty caps."

"Twenty?! Can't you go a little lower?..." Radcliffe protested.

"The meat's as long as your forearm. I can cut it up to reduce the price."

"Screw it, I'll pay. I'm starving..." he counted the caps and placed them on the counter.

The butcher wrapped and tied the jerky in brown paper and handed it over. Radcliffe held the jerky tight and went off to find a place to eat. During his time living in Paradise's Raid for the last five years, Radcliffe knew his way through a number of the back alleys where few dared to go in. Mostly because the people who ran Paradise's Raid didn't want people skulking around or hiding, and every now and then a critter would dig its way in. But Radcliffe didn't mind the back alleys, it was a place he could chill out and get away from the endless partying. And avoid certain people for a little while.

Radcliffe sat down on a small flight of steps and smiled while opening the brown paper. His teeth sank into the first big chunk and ripped off a piece and chewed noisily. He was about to take another bite as a sudden thud made him stop. The sound came from across the alley and around another turn, Radcliffe reached for his Hardballer and pointed towards the noise.

"Looks like another mole-rat or radroach got in..." Radcliffe said to himself while looping his finger on the trigger.

Another thud echoed, followed by a metal trash can rolling in on its side and coming to a stop. Radcliffe sat ready, his finger starting to squeeze as many footsteps reached his ears. The cause behind the ruckus finally came out from the turn, it was four little children. A young boy with short black hair and looked to be around seven, a dark skin girl with long pigtails and around six, and another five year old girl with blonde hair. The blonde haired girl held a swaddled baby boy in her arms, no more than a few months old.

The boy opened the lid of another trash can as the two girls stayed close to him. Radcliffe figured they were looking for food. And he didn't need to be told what kind of kids they are, the only kids in Paradise's Raid were children of passing traders and caravans, or children conceived from unwanted pregnancies between a prostitute and customer. Those unfortunate children always have bleak futures, they either end up growing into that line of work of selling their bodies or as simple laborers to keep Paradise's Raid running. Either way, the settlement ended up as both their home and prison with little to no knowledge of the world beyond.

Radcliffe holster his gun and slowly stood up to not startle them. The children didn't noticed him yet, they were too focused on digging through the garbage. But his quiet step landed on a shard of glass that crunched into pieces. The children turned to him with terrified gasps, the boy stepped in front of the girls to protect.

The Raider stayed still to not scare them off. "Hey, it's okay. I'm not going to hurt you..." he took a step towards them.

A tin can went flying, Radcliffe quickly blocked it as another tin can hit him in the chest. Next a pebble hit him in the leg, followed by a piece of a glass bottle hitting his shoulder as he moved forward.

"Will you stop it? I told you I'm not going to hurt any of you!" Radcliffe finally got close enough to stand over them. "What are you kids even doing here?"

The children stepped back, fear running through their bodies. Radcliffe noticed that their clothes were practically rags with shoes starting to fall apart. The blonde girl had a tiny backpack with a teddy bear arm sticking out, he thought it must be full of stuff for the baby.

Radcliffe started reaching his hand down to them, the children trembled as it loomed above their heads. He stopped as the fear in their eyes brought up an old memory, something that came every now and then. He remembered being just like the boy, an angry man towering over him, a sharp slap to the head that hit hard enough to bleed. Before he realized it, Radcliffe's hand rested against the side of his head. He closed his eyes and sighed before more old memories came to surface. Slowly, Radcliffe kneeled down until he was at eye level with them to try a new approach.

"Okay, let's try again. My name's Radcliffe. What's your names?" he asked them with his best smile. The kids seemed to calm down, but still kept quiet. "Are you kids brothers and sisters? That's probably unlikely, or very possible." he coughed awkwardly. "Sorry, I'm not very good with conversations. I get it, you kids don't trust adults. That's okay, I don't trust adults either. And I'm one myself..."

The dark skin girl giggled when he said that, but the boy still stood firm in front of them as the baby in the blonde girl's arms started to stir. Radcliffe tried to think of something else to say as grumbling stomachs changed the conversation.

"Hungry, huh?" he asked, holding the brown paper in his left hand. Starving eyes looked to the piece of jerky meat sticking out from it and he could see them practically drooling for it. Pity took hold of him, their skinny bodies could be seen through their ratty clothes. Slowly, he offered the wrapped jerky to them. "Being hungry sucks a lot. You kids need this more than I do. Here, take it..."

The boy looked cautiously at the food, not sure if it wasn't a trick. But hunger made the child push caution away and reach both his skinny arms out and snatched it. He ripped off a big piece and handed it to the girls who took pieces and ate them quickly as the boy took his own bite.

The kids devoured several more bites as the baby in the girl's arm started to fuss more, indicating he was starting to get hungry too. Radcliffe slowly stood and took a step back, for whatever reason the kids seemed protective of that baby. The children decided to leave and turned away from him, the girl with pigtails held the meat as the boy scurried to a nearby air duct grate and opened it. He waved for the girls to go in first while holding it open, his eyes never leaving Radcliffe, worried he might do something. But Radcliffe just kept his distance until the boy entered the duct and pulled the grate close.

Radcliffe watched the boy disappear into the dark duct with the sounds of echoing thumps fading away. Paradise's Raid may be what its name is on the surface, yet anyone who stayed around long enough knew it held horrible secrets built upon discarded people and debt. And anyone who crossed the people in charge often spent years paying off what they owe in any way possible or simply disappeared. He couldn't imagine what kind of future was in store for those kids, but at least he helped them stave off hunger for a day or two. Radcliffe just turned and left the back alley to piss away the day.

()()()()()()()()()()

Louis finally reached a more open space outside the factory. And just like the entrance, the sky was blocked off by a manmade ceiling of canopies and supports. Still no luck on finding his friends, but at least the area of markets seemed to be filled with more reliable people to ask for directions.

"Damn, how could I have lost them like this?" Louis said to himself and looked to his Pip-Boy. "Too bad you can't track them. That would be nice."

"Hey, asshole!" a sudden angry shout from behind.

The Vault dweller sighed and slowly turned around to three angry looking men. "And here's more trouble..."

"We saw you give Radcliffe those knuckle dusters!" the one on the left accused.

"Because of you, we lost all our caps! We're completely broke!" the one on the right curled his fists.

Louis' hand slowly drifted to his holster. "Sorry you lost. But I'm not sorry for helping someone who was being ganged up on. It isn't right..."

"Well, bitch, nobody's coming to your rescue." the one in the middle reached for an old nightstick at his side. "We're gonna beat your teeth out!"

Louis took that threat to heart and pulled out one of his Colts and pointed. The men quickly backed off with their hands up in surrender.

"Shit! Does he have a bunch of caps on him to pay?!" one of them spoke with a quiver.

"Man, forget this! It's not worth getting killed over!" the other spoke before fleeing.

The last two slowly backed up with their eyes still on the gun before spinning around to run. Louis watched them flee, trying to figure out what the man said.

"To pay? Pay what?..." Louis wondered before hearing footsteps behind him.

He turned around to see a different Itinerary Man stood with his clipboard close to his chest. "That's unfortunate. Seems like I won't be collecting a death payment after all." he turned and walked off before Louis could ask what he meant.

"Death payment?" Louis holstered his gun. "We have to get out of here soon, I don't like how this place is run one bit."

He decided to check out the next factory before backtracking to the first one in case they had already reached that location too.

()()()()()()()()()()

Radcliffe flushed the toilet and exited the bathroom stall after relieving himself. To have working plumbing in the Wasteland was a rare treat, and Paradise's Raid made sure people knew that just so they could come to see the comforts of the world before the war. He walked up to the sinks with the long stretch of mirror covered in cracks. Even though the plumbing was regularly maintained and the bathrooms kept clean, the walls were covered in graffiti, curse words, crude and perverted drawings, and a surprisingly nice painting of a sunset in the corner.

Radcliffe washed his hands and splashed some water in face. He looked at his rough complection in the mirror, the years of fighting left him hard and rough to the point he sometimes didn't recognize himself. But that paled in comparison to his youth, long before coming across this settlement.

The door to the bathroom flung open and closed harshly. Radcliffe looked in the mirror and saw two men in black padded clothes. He recognized them as High Lookers right away, and meeting one in person was never good. Especially for him.

Radcliffe reached down and picked up his pack and to them. "You guys look like you want some privacy. I'll leave..." he casually spoke and walked up to the door between them.

The High Lookers didn't react in any way to his comment. Instead, their arms raised and blocked the door. Radcliffe stopped sharply and bumped into their crossed arms.

"Uh, guys, I'm flattered, really. But...I'm just not into guys. No judgement here. Anything goes in Paradise's Raid. live and let love, or something like that."

The High Lookers suddenly grabbed him by the upper arms and held tight. Before Radcliffe could even react, the two brutes carried him across the room and slammed him against the long mirror. It cracked into many branches with several shards falling to the dirty floor.

"Hey, no means no! If you guys are into rough stuff, then go to the Red Light District! There's bound to be something for your weird taste!

The bathroom door swung open, two more High Lookers came in and took their positions by the sides as one held it open. A sharply dressed man stepped in, the door was closed behind him.

"For crying out loud, Radcliffe, do you ever shut the hell up?..."

The Raider felt his body turn cold upon hearing that voice. He looked to the slick haired man, who had a harden look in his eyes. Radcliffe swallowed and kept his composure to not show any weakness against one of the people that ran Paradise's Raid.

"Seymour, how's it hanging? Did you get a new suit? Maybe a tan? Oh, I know, you recently got la-"

The two bodyguards slammed him against the mirror to silence him. More pieces of the glass clattered to the floor.

"I'm not in the mood, Radcliffe..." Seymour slowly approached halfway across the bathroom. He reached into his suit and took out a prewar cigar and cutter. He snipped the end and lit it, taking a deep drag and blew out a cloud of smoke. "I really hate coming down here to deal with business. Especially when I'm forced to track you down to the bathrooms. It's not a good image..."

"For you or me? Because you know how people like to talk. And a bunch of guys in a bathroom for so long only makes it worse." Radcliffe gave a suggestive wink.

"Unbelievable. You just keep digging your grave deeper and deeper, Radcliffe. No wonder everyone thinks you're an asshole." Seymour squeezed the cigar tight and exhaled smoke from his nose.

"People think I'm an asshole?!" he asked genuinely surprised.

"I can see that you're going to be difficult. So I'll cut to the chase," Seymour took another long drag with his cigar. "You're in debt. And I mean a lot in debt. And I've been generous to let it last this long..."

"More like let it build up..." Radcliffe muttered.

"Shut up! For starters, your debt is seventy thousand caps! I'm sure you would have a hard time keeping track of the exact number, so I made it easy for your sake..."

"Seventy thousand?! You gotta be shitting me! There's no way!"

"Oh, you think?" Seymour reached into his vest and pulled out five sheets of folded paper. All of it containing Radcliffe's debt. "Ever since you've stumbled into Paradise's Raid, we've been keeping tabs on all your spending that you owe. For starters, owe over five thousand caps on Candi..."

"That's bullshit! There's no way anyone has that much prewar candy! Let alone spending that much on it!" Radcliffe interrupted.

"Candi with an 'i', you dumb fuck! From the Peppermint Deathclaw club." he continued reading off the list. "You've accumulated debt from dozens of food stands. Spent thousands upon thousands on ammo at the Shooting Farm. Guzzled down gallons of booze at bars, for awhile I was worried you would die from liver failure. And your gambling debts make up for almost two fourths of this fucking bill!" Seymour shouted with rage that reverberated off the walls. But he took a deep breath to calm down. Before he ended Radcliffe's life and lost all those caps in the process.

"Shit, I've really lived up to this place's name." Radcliffe smirked proudly. "I deserve an award for that..."

"And if you weren't balls deep in the asshole of debt I would have had your head a long time ago." Seymour folded the paper and put it away and approached him. "But that will only mean you getting the last laugh..."

"Hey, I prefer living any day..." Radcliffe shrugged.

"Don't get so cocky. Your popularity in the Fighting League would only be a loss in revenue." Seymour took one last puff before putting the cigar out on Radcliffe's vest, twisting the stub with hot ashes falling to his boot. "So here's the deal. I'm giving you...what's the month, March? I'll give you until August. Seventy caps in full. And I don't care what you have to do to get it. Fighting or selling your ass, either way we want that debt to be paid off."

"You can't be serious!" Radcliffe struggled against his captors. "There's no way I can get that much in that short of time!"

"Not our problem. You should have known better, it's not our fault you have no sense of control with your spending." Seymour scoffed bitterly. "If you haven't spent years here in a drunken stupor half the time, your debt might not have been so bad. Consider yourself lucky I'm giving you this long."

"Wow, I feel so lucky already..." Radcliffe rolled his eyes to that.

"Don't...push me..." Seymour warned, his fist balled up. "I got better things to do than keeping an eye on you." he turned back towards the door and spoke to his bodyguards. "Come along, gentlemen. We have other business to attend to..."

"What, is it their feeding time?" Radcliffe pointed to all four men and laughed.

The two holding him collided their fists into his stomach. Even with his armor, Radcliffe had the wind knocked out as they let him fall to the floor. He landed on his hands hard and heaved from the pain.

"And, Radcliffe, don't try to run." Seymour turned his head slightly. "If you leave Paradise's Raid, I will send people to find you. And the guards all around the perimeter have been made aware of your situation. They have orders to shoot you, but only to injure. You're no good to me dead..."

Radcliffe coughed again and spat on the floor. "Wouldn't dream of it..."

The door slammed closed with an echo, Radcliffe sat back up and leaned against the wall of the bathroom. He hated to admit it, but he knew this day was coming sooner or later.

"This day turned shitty in a heartbeat. First someone rigged that fucking fight, and now Seymour is getting up my ass. The only good that came from this was when that guy-"

He suddenly remembered the guy in the blue jumpsuit. And even more so, the device on his left wrist. A rare item for collectors all around, a Pip-Boy.

"That's right! He had one of those Vault things!" Radcliffe scrambled to his feet. "A Pip-Boy! I've heard of people that will pay up to thirty thousand caps just for one of those!" a grin came across his face. "It might not be enough to pay my debt, but it's a big chunk."

With a plot forming in his mind, Radcliffe exited the bathroom. "I just got to find that guy and lift that thing off him. Good thing I know my way around, someone's bound to have seen him."

()()()()()()()()()()

Louis entered the next factory over, filled with hundreds of people partying. The last two hours really drained him, there was still no sign of his friends and it began to worry him. The second factory housed endless choices of bars and dance clubs to entertain for hours on end. Music pounded in his eardrums, drunks staggered around or slept on the ground without a care. The Vault dweller came up to a nearby bar, its sign buzzing in bright words, The Smelting Dive. Louis thought to himself that it had something to do with one of the old factories being a forge. He cleared his dry throat, searching built up a thirst, so with a sigh he entered the open entrance.

Across from the street, Radcliffe's search for him came to an end. He checked the small medicine bottle in his hand before stuffing it into his pocket.

Louis carefully took in his surroundings, Raiders sat at tables and bar stools with countless empty bottles and glasses scattered near them, and they kept demanding more. A jukebox played a scratched record of dance music, but the people inside proved to be louder. Every few seconds Louis would hear the sound of glass shattering against the floor or walls, a rowdy place to drink. He approached the bar and took a seat on an open stool and waited to be served. A minute later the bartender came over, but before he could order a drink the bartender placed a bottle of whisky onto the bar counter.

"Uh, I didn't order this..." Louis pointed to it.

"That's because he bought it." the bartender pointed behind him.

Radcliffe came up and sat down next to him with a big grin. "Hey, how's it going? Name's Radcliffe..."

"I know. I watched the fight." he replied.

"Oh, right, I guess I took one too many blows..." the Raider chuckled awkwardly.

"So I'm guessing this is your way of paying me back for helping you?" Louis asked as the bartender placed two glasses with ice on the bar counter.

"Booze is great for all kinds of occasions..." Radcliffe popped the cork off and poured them both a glass.

The two picked up the cups and clicked them together. "The name's Louis..."

"Hmm, never heard that before..." Radcliffe said before taking a big gulp.

"It's rare..."

"So is seeing a Vault dweller." his eyes quickly glanced at the Pip-Boy. "I hear you people wear blue jumpsuits with a number on it. You guys live in your own paradise underground."

"I suppose that's one way of looking at it..."

The two sat quietly for a minute, downing their drinks until Radcliffe finished and refilled his. "If you don't mind me asking, are you traveling? I can't imagine a Vault dweller would come all the way out here just to see Paradise's Raid."

Louis finished his drink and placed the cup down. "I'm just passing through. I've expected to see all kinds of weird things out here, but not a place like this..."

"Oh, you're talking about all the Raiders around here!" Radcliffe turned a little in his seat and looked to the room filled with Raider gangs. "And I know every clan that hangs around here. For starters, see those people over there?..."

Louis turned and looked to the table he pointed at, the group of Raiders wore clothes made of leather belts sewn and looped together with a number of hanging strips and buckles. Making them look like poor attempts at mummification.

"They call themselves the Belters. All their suits are made from belts and buckles, I don't even know where they get so many belts." Radcliffe took another sip.

"They certainly are...creative." Louis cleared his throat.

Radcliffe pointed to the next table over. "And those people with the red tinted goggles? They call themselves the Red-Eyes. Word of warning, do not, under any circumstances, take away their goggles. They will go fucking insane!"

"Like I would. Do they see everything in red?" Louis wondered.

"Probably. And see those women over there, the ones in the corsets, leather thongs, thigh high boots, black cloaks, tattoos, crazy hair and piercings?"

The Vault dweller looked to the table with eight women, two of them making out. "They're...really hard to miss."

"They call themselves The Sisters of Wicca. And they do not allow men into their fold." Radcliffe grinned as the two kissing started to get more heated. "At least _not_ men..."

"I get it." Louis took another drink. "Do they or even you know what Wicca and Wiccan is?"

"Some kind of religion, right?"

"Uh...sort of..."

"And those two tables across from each other? See the people wearing skulls on their faces? They call themselves the Skull Catchers. I hear they rank their people by what skulls they wear." Radcliffe pointed to their headgear. "The ones with human skulls are the grunts, and those that wear animal skulls are higher up, group commanders and so on. And I hear the leader wears a Deathclaw skull."

"Earlier I saw one of them arguing with another Raider group that had all kinds of bones woven into their clothes."

"Ah! Those are the Bone Harvesters. They gather all kinds of bones and wear them for armor." Radcliffe pointed to the table over. "The Skull Catchers and the Bone Harvesters have been feuding for decades. Each side claims the other stole their idea for their bone theme. And I've heard the fights have been real bloody. There was even a rumor about a man from the Skull Catchers and a woman from the Bone Harvesters falling in love and ran away together years ago. That really set the clans off."

Louis scoffed to himself. "Wow, a Wasteland Romeo & Juliet."

"You motherfuckers!" the bar went silent after the table of the Skull Catchers was flipped over.

Both Raider clans stood inches from each other with knives and broken beer bottles in hand. The only sound was the scratchy record playing from the jukebox.

"You guys love your bones so much? How 'bout we shove them up your fucking asses!" the one wearing a Brahmin skull shouted.

"Bring it on, skull fuckers!" the group leader of the Bone Harvesters twirled his knife.

"Sweet! We're about to see a fight!" Radcliffe fully turned around from the bar to get a better view.

"Isn't anyone going to stop this? Those people will kill each other!" Louis looked around the room and noticed everyone wanted this fight to go down.

Before either side could throw the first punch, another Itinerary Man stepped in as if out of nowhere and got between the groups. "Excuse me, fighting is allowed in Paradise's Raid, but if there's any death involved it's two hundred caps per kill." he informed them. "Now wouldn't you people prefer to spend those caps on more useful things like food, alcohol, and gambling? Much more satisfying than killing each other in a brawl."

Both Raider groups looked to each other and silently stood down, they didn't want to risk getting their groups in trouble. The Skull Catchers picked up their table as the Bone Harvesters went to the back corner to keep their distance. The bar went back to its usual loud ruckus with disappointed groans all around.

"Ah, party foul!" Radcliffe threw his head back. "It's always so fun to see those people fight."

"Well I for one am glad nobody got hurt." Louis frowned and went back to his drink. "There's no point in senseless fighting."

"If you keep thinking like that you won't last long out here." Radcliffe reached into his pocket and pulled out the medicine bottle. "No offense, but even Paradise's Raid will get you if you're not careful."

Louis topped off his drink. "I've been on the surface longer than you think. And we've been traveling for quite awhile."

Radcliffe needed time, just a few moments to slip the pills in. "I didn't mean to upset you. It's just that the Wasteland is a terrifying, and this area is some of the scariest places around. Why do you think so many people come here?"

"I can hold my own in a fight. And I've got people who have my back." Louis turned back to the Raiders to learn more. "So what's the story with those people?"

"The ones with the bird masks and feathers sticking out around their necks?" Radcliffe looked to said Raiders. "They're the Raven Scourges. Don't get in a fist fight with them, they like to fight with metal talons on their fingers." he kept the bottle hidden under the counter and started twisting the cork with his thumb and index finger.

"Just how many different Raider groups are there?" Louis asked to the seemingly endless varieties.

"Like dozens. Literally dozens." Radcliffe quietly popped the cork off. "And see those people in the corner with the white makeup and colorful paint all over their clothes?"

"Are they...dressed like clowns?!..."

"Yep, they're the Party Clownz. Back before the war, clowns would go to children parties and kill them. Which is pretty fucked up if you ask me."

"That is not even close to being true!" Louis sharply placed his drink down. "My god, who came up with that?"

Radcliffe kept searching the room for more Raider groups. He needed to keep him distracted. "And look over there! The ones with black and orange dyed into their uniforms, they call themselves the Maverick Tigers. And those people with the lights all over their armor, they're the Bright Seasons."

"Wait a minute, those are Christmas lights! What are they using to power them?"

"Don't know. A battery?" Radcliffe swiftly raised the bottle up from under the counter, holding tight to not drop it. The opening loomed above Louis' glass, he gave it a gentle shake and let three pills fall in. The pills began dissolving in the drink, but if Louis turned back to it right now, Radcliffe's plan would be ruined. "And look over there near the entrance! Wearing all those sport equipment and gear, they go by the Sport Lords."

"Let me guess, they fight with sports gear like baseball bats and hockey sticks and so on?"

Radcliffe glanced back at the drink, the pills were almost gone. "You hit the nail on the head. Speaking of which, those people by the jukebox with nails sticking out of their armor. They call themselves the Nail Drivers."

"I wonder if they've ever heard of tetanus?..."

"And right over there, that group with the weird Mohawks? They're called Moe's Hawks. Their leader's name is Moe." Radcliffe looked once more to the glass. Finally, the pills have dissolved away in his drink. "Finally..."

Louis heard his quiet word. "I'm sorry, did you say something?"

"Uh, finally, that's about all the different Raider groups. At least in this bar..." Radcliffe laughed awkwardly and leaned back in his seat.

Louis faced the bar and grabbed his drink, the glass raised inches from his mouth. Radcliffe did all he could to prevent himself from smiling, easy caps only a drink away. But Louis stopped, a curious look came across his face.

"You've told me about all these Raider groups, but you haven't told me yours. Does it have something to do with that tattoo on your back?"

Radcliffe clenched his glass, it almost shattered in his hand. He closed his eyes for a moment and looked away. "My group...isn't around here. I'm kinda on my own."

"I see." Louis looked down at his glass and frowned. "Out in the open where they're free to do whatever they want."

Radcliffe didn't like his change of tone. "What's that suppose to mean?"

"Nothing. Just thinking about something." Louis lifted his glass again to finish it.

Radcliffe smiled, his plan back on track as the rim of the glass touched Louis' lips. A sudden bark startled the two, they turned around to see Cavall run up to Louis with his tail wagging from excitement. Radcliffe almost jumped out of his stool upon seeing a dog that big, and it surprised him even more when the hybrid leaped up to greet Louis.

"Hey there, boy!" he scratched him behind the ears. "Did you track me down?"

"We all did." Doug called out while moving through the crowded bar with Victoria and Joe trailing behind.

Louis got off the stool to greet them. "You guys found me! I've been looking everywhere for you."

"So were we." Victoria said. "It took us awhile to get Cavall to start tracking you down."

Joe looked to Radcliffe, a suspicious glare in his eyes. "Who's this guy?"

The Raider cleared his throat and outstretch his hand to keep in character. "The name's Radcliffe! How you all doing?"

Joe didn't return the handshake, his frown never leaving his wrinkly face.

"Joe's got a point, Louis. Who is this guy?" Doug began to look at Radcliffe with the same suspicion in mind.

"Right, I kinda helped him in a fight." Louis answered with an awkward smile. "Where's everyone else?"

"They're outside the bar. This place looks too packed for all of us to be inside at once." Victoria answered him.

"Alright. I better go see them, I'm glad we all finally found each other." Louis said, completely forgetting his drink and heading for the exit.

The group followed him as Joe gave Radcliffe one last look before turning away. Radcliffe's shifty smile disappeared and replaced by frustration of his prize slipping away and quickly gulped down his drink.

"Well, fuck. Now what do I do?..."

He turned his head to a Raider standing near him. "Uh...are you going to finish that drink?" he eyed the full glass on the bar counter.

Radcliffe huffed and slid the drink towards him. "Knock yourself out..." he answered while getting up and taking the whiskey bottle. No matter what, he couldn't let that Pip-Boy get away and followed Louis and his group.

The Raider took the drink and downed it in seconds. After that he walked back to his group at a nearby table. But just as he reached for his seat, the tipsy Raider's vision went blurry as his wobbly knees gave out and landed face forward onto the table and slid off.

His group watched him crash to the floor, the leader at the head of the table scoffed and took another drink from his beer. "Fucking lightweight."


	27. DEEPER INTO PARADISE

**CHAPTER 27: DEEPER INTO PARADISE.**

" _Temptation is an irresistible force at work on a movable body." H.L. Mencken._

The small group exit the bar and found Chloe, Wayland, Inez and Asimov waiting for them. The remaining members greeted the missing Vault dweller, who managed to avoid a bone crushing hug from the Super Mutant.

"Again, guys, I'm sorry I had you looking for me all over this place." Louis apologized to them.

"It wasn't easy." Inez said with crossed arms. "Asking for directions is next to impossible with all these drunks and Raiders around. They were no help."

"I calculated a 22% probability you would go to the bars first." Asimov informed.

"How did you come up with that?..." Louis asked with surprise.

"Are we leaving now that Louis is found?" Wayland asked next.

"Yes, please, this place creeps me out." Chloe agreed while keeping her eyes on some Raiders. "A group of women with tattoos and skimpy leather clothes asked if I wanted to join them. Very aggressively..."

Radcliffe knew what Raider group she was talking about and couldn't hold back a snicker of lewd thoughts. His laugh didn't go unnoticed, the group set their eyes on the sketchy man who smiled nervously in return.

Inez already disliked the him just by his affiliation. "What do you want?"

"A lot of booze. But that's behind the point." Radcliffe chuckled.

"It's _beside_ the point..." Asimov corrected. "And you didn't answer the question."

"Uh, whatever, robot. Aren't you an Assaultron?" Radcliffe wondered, scratching the side of his head.

Louis went up beside him to explain. "Guys, this is Radcliffe. And long story short, I tossed him a pair of brass knuckles during a cage fight that turned out to be rigged. But he found me in this bar only awhile ago."

"I can understand you helping someone, it's your obsession..." Doug sighed before looking back to Radcliffe. "But that doesn't explain why you tracked him down..."

Radcliffe held his tongue, he kept saying to himself that he needed to gain their trust to steal the Pip-Boy. But finding out he had so many odd friends made it worse. "I said I liked booze. So I showed my thanks by buying him some whiskey..." he held up the half empty bottle.

"Then if you're done buying him a drink, we'll be on our way." Victoria said as they began to turn away.

"Hold on a second!" Radcliffe held his hand out sharply. "You're gonna leave so soon?"

"Thanks for the drinks, but like I said we're just passing through." Louis answered him.

"But why not get something to eat? Or supplies? Or better yet...we can hit up one of the many bars and clubs around here!" Radcliffe quickly looped around in front of them. "If you guys are going to be here only once, then enjoy it while you can. There's even places to sleep if that's all you guys want."

The wanderers thought it over to themselves, a lot of time had been lost trying to regroup. Louis' eyes narrowed in thought, the Raider's suggestion to stay might confirm a certain suspicion that he had been thinking about.

"On second thought guys, let's stay for a little longer." Louis spoke, which surprised them all. "Hey, Radcliffe, you said there's a place we can eat?"

Radcliffe grinned and clapped his hands together. "Sure do! It's a place called the Chow Station. You're gonna drown in food once we're done! Follow me!" he spun around to lead.

Doug waited for a few moments until Radcliffe was out of earshot. "Louis, why the hell are we staying here? You don't even know this guy."

Louis turned his head them. "I know that, but I have a theory about this place that I can't shake. You have to trust me on this."

"What theory about this place could there be?" Victoria asked in disbelief. "It seems pretty straightforward. Eat, drink, gamble, fuck, sleep and do it all over again."

"I'll explain later." Louis slipped his hands into his pockets. "And to be honest, I want to see what they got. I'm kinda tired of mystery can food and jerky..."

Twenty minutes later the group came into a new section that filled their noses with all kinds of new smells. Unlike the random food stands and butcher shops, the Chow Station held an abundance of open restaurants with actual cooks fixing meals for hungry customers at tables of all kinds and stools. Even a fully assembled diner that was brought in piece by piece rested in middle of the strip with working stations inside.

"Huh, this is a lot more than I expected." Joe stood impressed by the amount of variety.

"And a lot more clean looking too." Chloe stated.

"That's right, the Chow Station has cooks making just about anything you can think of!" Radcliffe extended his arms out to the busy place. "I usually like going to small stands, but I sometimes make the trip here when I have a lot of caps on me."

"At least we got choices." Doug said as he spotted a barbeque location with long grills cooking all kinds of meat. "What place are you going to choose, Wayland?"

The Super Mutant didn't respond, instead he started walking towards the open barbeque with a growling stomach, running on pure hunger from the sizzling meat drawing him to it.

"Never mind. Stupid question to ask." Doug followed to make sure no one freaked out upon seeing him.

Going to the Chow Station proved to be a nice decision. The menus gave them a variety of choices, and the people cooking at their stations were very skilled at their work. Everyone broke off into small groups to pick out their own meals. Doug and Joe stayed with Wayland at the open grill, the Super Mutant held two trays meant for carrying plates in his big palms. He selected a number of ribs, steaks, kabobs, roasting potatoes and corn on the cobs. Doug and Joe selected almost the same things, but in much smaller portions compared to him. Chloe and Inez checked out a station that specialized in stews and soups. Louis, Victoria and Radcliffe hit up the diner, the place used prewar food as part of their ingredients, all guaranteed fresh from the cans and boxes. Asimov held a table for them, Cavall wagging his tail while waiting for his meal. The group joined up again after paying for their meals, Louis placed a bowl of chopped meat down in front of Cavall, who dived in snout first.

"I can't believe they have Mirelurk stew all the way out here." Chloe stirred the big chunks around with her spoon.

"There's a farm near a river that catches and butchers those creepy bastards." Radcliffe said before taking a big bite off his kabob. Losing his first meal hours ago left him starving. "They throw the bodies in insulated coolers and bring them here."

"I gather Paradise's Raid gets a lot of trade." Victoria asked as she watched a few traders roll in supplies on carts. "Do they come from all around?"

"Everywhere for miles." Radcliffe finished his first kabob and started another. "Paradise's Raid is in the middle of nowhere and the beginning of any starting point. Kinda crazy when you think about it."

"More like people don't have a choice in the matter." Joe grumbled to himself. "This place creates a need that most can't afford to pass up."

Doug stopped eating for a moment, Wayland had already finished half his plates of meat and started popping the potatoes into his mouth, eating them whole in one bite. "Uh, so, Wayland, you got enough to eat?..."

"I'm going back for more. This stuff is great." he picked up a corn on the cob and stuck half of it in his mouth.

"Wait, you're not supposed to eat the-"

Wayland bit the corn in half and chewed noisily, not even noticing the nonedible part.

"Never mind..." Doug went back to his meal and noticed one of his steaks missing. "What the hell?"

Radcliffe sat beside Louis, the Pip-Boy seemed to mock him every time he saw it. "So it seems like I made a good call to come here, huh? This place has something for everyone, that's why it's considered paradise."

"Yes, we get the idea." Victoria commented a tad annoyed. She finished her bread roll and saw Radcliffe's plate was missing a skewer. "Hey, did you drop a kabob or something?"

Radcliffe looked down and counted the remaining kabobs. "The fuck?! Who took my food?!"

Joe chuckled in his throat to their confusion. "Better be careful. He's quick for someone his size."

"Who are you talking about?" Louis asked, stirring his bowl of Blamco mac & cheese with chunks of cram in it. He felt something brush against his legs and looked down to see Cavall poke his head out with a skewer in his mouth. "Oh, so you're the one sneaking off with everyone's food." he took the skewer away from him.

"He just leaped up and snatched it off their plates. It was pretty funny..." Joe chuckled again and tossed a small piece of steak aside to get Cavall away from the table.

Radcliffe shrugged off the loss and started eating another. "So once we're done, you guys want to hit up a bar? I know a few good ones around."

"Shouldn't we look for rooms to sleep first?" Inez asked.

"Don't worry about it. There's always rooms here if you plan on sleeping. Because most people here don't want to just sleep." Radcliffe spoke suggestively while standing up with his plate. "I'm getting some more grub. Be back in a second..."

He went back to the long grill and took his time picking the kabobs. The bottle of sleeping pills hanged heavily in his pocket, a simple plan that turned complicated. He needed to separate the group, try to get as many of them away from each other and knock Louis out. That's when a new idea came to mind, a place where he could get them separated and slip the pills in a drink again. Radcliffe took a few more kabobs and sat back down with them as they laughed at the end of a short story between Louis and Doug.

"And the maintenance men never even knew we were down there in water treatment plant!" Louis held back his laugh to finish speaking.

"You two seriously swam in one of the purification tanks when the top was open?!" Inez almost choked on the food in her mouth from laughing.

"That's a good way to contaminate the water in your Vault." Asimov stated plainly.

"It was fine, the water gets cleaned in several stage cycles and that one was under maintenance anyway. If anything the tank was a giant tub with a deep bottom." Louis said before finishing the last bite from his bowl.

Everyone else had almost finished their meals with some going back for seconds. Wayland himself got another heaping of meat and potatoes, and the people who served him went from being on edge in fear to very happy thanks to the total of his meals. After that the dirty plates were left on the long table to be gathered.

"So where's our next stop, tour guide?" Chloe asked him.

"Just follow me. You guys will love this." Radcliffe answered, glad to play the part.

Almost thirty minutes of walking lead the wanderers to a wide entrance that flooded the ground with a ruby red light. Music rumbled from beyond the opening, the concrete ground filled with people and prostitutes, buildings made in the shape of clubs and brothels with neon signs displaying their names. And above the entrance the words, 'Red Light District' buzzed with a dancing female shape on one side and a dancing male figure on the other.

"Oh, my god, why did you bring us here?!" Victoria's face cringed at the sight of half naked people wandering about.

"Because this place is awesome!" Radcliffe answered cheerfully. "Whatever your kink is this place has got it and more."

"We're not sleeping with anyone! Why would you even think we'd want to?!" Joe spat in disgust.

"Hey, chill, there's things for Ghouls here too!" Radcliffe spun around towards him. "And I never said let's go find someone to fuck. Although I wouldn't say no to that either."

"Then why did you bring us here?" Doug questioned.

"A strip club!" Radcliffe exclaimed loudly. "Come on, don't you want to see beautiful women fly up and down poles? Getting drunk at the bar? And as for you ladies there's plenty of clubs with stripper men. So come on, live a little! The world won't end if you guys don't leave Paradise's Raid today..." his planned hinged on them agreeing to come along.

The group stood in an awkward position, and they couldn't deny that Radcliffe made a good point about losing a day not hurting. Louis looked at the Pip-Boy and flipped the knob to the section with the signal arrow. Its direction steady as ever and had not changed its course since the last time he checked.

He sighed lightly and lowered his arm. "You know what, let's do it. We're all consenting adults here, let's have a little fun!"

"Fuck it. Let's unwind a little..." Chloe said while looking to Victoria and Inez. "Come on ladies, let's go see some men dance for our amusement."

Victoria's cheeks started turning red at the thought. "You're not serious?"

Inez pointed to her cheeks. "Hey, Vic, you're starting to blush a little. Sounds like you want to try it."

Chloe turned her head back to Radcliffe. "So what do you recommend, Radcliffe?"

"Oh, very funny." Radcliffe answered with a fake laugh. "But if you're asking, I've heard that place is pretty good for the ladies..." he pointed towards a building several meters away.

Its sign above the entrance buzzed with bright green letters calling it the 'Den of Snakes' with a neon snake coiling around the name in an endless loop.

"A bit on the nose, don't you think?..." Louis read the sign, its lack of imagination easy to see.

"Going to these clubs will serve no purpose to me. I will acquire rooms for us and put away our backpacks ..." Asimov held his arms out to take them.

"I'm going too. It's been so long since I've eaten so much!" Wayland patted his full stomach. "I need to rest for awhile."

"You ate enough for ten people, not surprising..." Joe nodded in agreement.

Radcliffe mentally cheered to himself. That took care of two more members with the women going off to another club. Asimov and Wayland gathered everyone's backpacks and most of their weapons, leaving only their sidearms for protection. Radcliffe gave Asimov and Wayland quick directions to the nearest rental rooms that rested a bit outside of the Red Light District, giving him even more time. They had Cavall go with the two since the clubs obviously didn't allow animals in.

The ladies wished the guys a good time and started moving towards the club. But Inez stopped in her tracks and looked to Louis with a serious face.

"Just be careful around _him_..." she shot Radcliffe a warning glare who noticed it right away before she joined back up with Victoria and Chloe.

Radcliffe waited until they reached the club to ask. "So, which joint you guys want to hit up? Go ahead and pick one." he gestured out to the clubs before them.

The three looked around, reading the signs to see what might catch their interest. After a minute Louis' eyes spotted a strip club with a red and white glow to it.

"Uh, how about that one? It seems like a nice choice..."

Radcliffe looked towards the building, his stomach tighten upon seeing the one strip club he actually didn't want to go to. The Peppermint Deathclaw's sign shined brightly with a neon form of a Deathclaw flashing in red and white patterns.

"No! No, not that one!" Radcliffe waved his hands out hastily. He had visited that place too many times, and last thing he wanted was the people running it to bring up his debt. "The women there are ugly! Like really rough from the Wasteland! And a lot of them got bullet scars and scissor scars on their stomachs and shit! Really, it's a place for old perverts with very low standards!"

"It's _caesarean_ scar." Louis rolled his eyes, wondering why he bothered to correct him.

"Okay, then how about that one?" Doug pointed to another across the street. Its sign saying, 'Atom's Bombshells' with an image of two very big atom bombs in front of a woman's chest. "If the sign is any indication, we're gonna have a good time."

Yes, Atom's Bombshells! Let's go!" Radcliffe all but dragged them to the club.

The four reached the entrance and got in line. After a few minutes the bouncers let them through, their eyes never leaving Radcliffe until he was in considering his well known reputation of getting drunk and out of control. The inside greeted them with pounding music, faint smell of tobacco smoke, and people cheering and catcalling to the women dancing on stages and single stands. Buckets at the edges of the stages held the caps that people paid to see more, some even starting to overflow. The women proved to be incredibly attractive, almost as if they came from an age before the bombs. Their rare beauty practically a treasure considering how rough and worn people become in the Wasteland. The group took their seats at a table near one of the stages where a woman with tassel pasties currently entertained the crowd near her.

"Isn't this the best?! How often do you get to see women like this?!" Radcliffe asked loudly over the music.

"Not often I would imagine!" Louis answered, couldn't deny he was right.

Joe leaned back in his seat and lit up a smoke, taking a quick drag and flicking the ashes into a tray. "It's been a very long time since I've been in a club. A very long time."

"And when was that?" Doug asked him.

Joe paused, blurry memories came to mind. He remembered being a tad buzzed, being almost forcibly dragged by a few men he once knew, a new ring around his left ring finger. He cleared his dry throat before more memories came up. "Uh, sometime before the bombs dropped. I can't remember much."

A waitress came by their table, Radcliffe started them off by ordering a round of beers. He needed time to work their way up to stronger drinks and slip the pills in. Best to knock all three of them out at once, people passing out at tables happens often in the clubs and bars.

"So, tell me something, that Inez girl..." Radcliffe needed to keep the casual talk going. "I get the feeling she really hates me. And I'm pretty sure I haven't met her before. At least I think I haven't..."

"The short story," Louis adjusted himself for a moment, resting his arms on the table. "Before joining us, she was abducted by a group of Rust Devils that forced her to fix new types of Sentry Bots. It was a long and bloody battle that we almost didn't survive as the psycho leader nearly cut me to pieces with flaming swords..."

"Rust Devils?! Those people are a bunch of fuckers!" Radcliffe scoffed, blown away by the short but crazy tale. "We've had a number of them come and go here. Always looking for technology, I believe they helped design a few of the sex bots."

All three of them threw up a little in their mouths, the redesigned Mr. Handy still fresh in their minds. Luckily the waitress returned with a tray of beers and set them down. All four popped the tops and pocket the caps and took big drinks while watching a new dancer come on stage. Wearing pasties with atomic warning signs printed on them.

"Yes! Let's get this party started!" Radcliffe raised his beer bottle for them to toast.

()()()()()()()

During that time, the ladies sat down at a small table and ordered a round of drinks to get started. The strip club boomed with music, muscular men dancing on stages wearing skimpy themes like a firefighter or police officer and even a military soldier. Buckets of caps rested on the edge of stages with howling women throwing in more to see clothes drop on the floor.

"Looks like we got here just in time." Chloe said, clapping for more from the dancer on stage in front of them.

"I can't believe we're actually doing this..." Victoria took in her surroundings, watching the men dance made her feel uneasy.

"It pains me to say it, but that Radcliffe guy does have a good point about unwinding." Inez said before a feeling of bitterness washed over. "I just wish Louis didn't bump into someone like him."

"I know what you mean, but it doesn't seem these Raiders will start anything unless given a reason." Chloe kept her eyes on the women Raiders, she could never trust them either.

The waiter came with their drinks and placed them on the table. The women toasted to themselves and watched the show on stage. Time passed for awhile, the alcohol and cheering of roused women started to make them unwind and join in on the fun. Every now and then a few caps from their pockets went flying into the bucket on the stage as the current dancer in only a short bathing suit danced in their general direction.

Chloe finished another drink and placed the glass down next to the five other empty glasses. Her mind becoming more fuzzy with each drink. "You know...I'm be...beginning to think these guys aren't going to show the snakes!" she hiccuped into her palm. "Tha-that's false advertising if you ask me..."

"Okay, you need to slow down a bit..." Inez giggled to her slurs. Her head hung limply for a moment. "Let's get some water in you..."

"Maybe we're not paying enough." Victoria half joked. She raised her finger up to get the nearest waiter's attention. "We would like a pitcher of water please."

"And another round of the club special!" Chloe called out, shaking the empty glass in the air.

"You're gonna pass out where you sit..." Inez warned her before muttering something in Spanish about not carrying her.

Their new drinks and pitcher of water soon came, Victoria and Inez made Chloe drink the water with her new club special to clear her head. The dancer on stage took his bucket of caps while picking up his few article of clothes and walked back to the curtain entrance.

"Alright ladies, you ready for the main event?!" the woman announcer called out to the ladies in the club, who answered back with loud cheers. "Then let's get this party started! Here comes Tommy Tube!"

"Tommy Tube? What kind of name is that?" Victoria asked, noticing a lot of the women in the club turned their attention to the stage.

The lights dimmed as spotlights turned to the center stage. The curtain opened and a new man stepped out wearing a robe that touched the stage floor. He walked towards the middle, pausing for a moment before dropping it. The entire club went wild, for the man with a bodybuilder physic wore only a speedo with an improvised tube of cloth hanging in front of it.

Victoria, Chloe and Inez's jaws practically fell off, they could easily tell the tube wasn't just for show.

"It reaches all the way past his knees..." Inez eyes went star struck.

" _Now_ the club name makes sense." Victoria couldn't take her eyes off either.

"I really hope they bring out more snakes!" Chloe took another big drink.

"But hold on ladies!" the announcer said over the screams. "There's many more snakes to see!"

The three finally joined in with the crowd, their ecstatic cheers practically made the foundation of the club shake.

()()()()()()()()

Radcliffe waited a few hours before putting his plan into action. The dancing women and drinks loosened them up, giving him the perfect opening. Two women danced in front of them, a blonde with short hair near Joe, and another covered with tattoos near Doug as Louis kept his eyes on the stage. Awhile ago he told them about the club's special drink, the Atomic Slammer. He left so he could order them after going to the bathroom. Waiting by the bar, Radcliffe held three pills in the palm of his hand. His first attempt might have been foiled earlier, but it was only the three of them together this time. The bartender placed four glasses on a tray, the drinks had a red color with green at the bottom to resemble a nuclear blast in the distance with the fallout at the bottom. Radcliffe pulled the tray towards him and waited for the bartender to leave. Three pills plopped into the drinks with his drink kept at the side, in moments the pills dissolved and Radcliffe grinned at his plan coming together and picked up the small tray.

The stripper in front of Joe seemed to be really interested him. "Don't get much Ghouls in this club. They tend to go to a club with Ghoul dancers." she spoke to him, not losing a single beat to her moves.

"Eh, I'm with these guys." Joe pointed his thumb to Louis and Doug. "And I know making small talk is part of the job, but you don't have to talk to me if it makes you uncomfortable."

"Quite the opposite..." the stripper landed in his lap and wrapped her arms around his neck. "I happen to find Ghouls _very_ attractive. I love that leathery feeling all over me. And your eyes are very pretty..." she gave him a sultry wink.

Joe's right eye twitched, the cigarette in his hand dropped to the floor. In all his two hundred plus years, a normal human woman had never hit on him before.

Radcliffe stood only a few feet away from the table, a smile twitching at the edge of his lips. Putting one pill in each drink won't knock them out right away like the few he slipped in Louis' other drink, so no one would suspect anything right away since they already looked buzzed.

But as fate would have it, his plan seemed to fly off the rails again. A hard shove from behind made him stumble forward, the drink tray flipped out of his hands and shattered all over the floor.

"Hey! You fucking asshole!" a man shouted.

The club went silent with only the music still going. Three men with pissed scowls on their faces stood behind Radcliffe. One man dressed in a sharp suit, and the other two both Louis and Radcliffe recognized, the one fighter that had the spiked dusters, and the other that wore the bandanna.

"Think you can beat up my fighters and just walk away?!" the man in the suit questioned, clearly the sponsor of the fighters he went up against.

Radcliffe didn't turn to them, his eyes still on the spilled drinks at his feet. "You got to be fucking kidding me..." he whispered only to himself.

"I'm talking to you! Turn around now!" the sponsor grew more agitated.

Radcliffe gritted his teeth and turn around to face them. The women near their table backed off, Louis already standing to jump in if a fight broke out. Which seemed likely to everyone watching.

"You spilled my drinks that I was getting for me and my friends here..." Radcliffe pointed down to the tray. "Now pay us back and we'll forget this accident."

"Like fuck I am!" the sponsor's face reddened. "You had outside help to win that match!"

"Yeah, after you had your people gang up on him in a rigged match that was supposed to be a free for all!" Louis pointed out, which earned the murmurs of the onlookers.

"And who the hell asked you?!" the sponsor turned his eyes to him. "Mind your own fucking business!"

"Listen, you bastard." Radcliffe stepped back in front of the sponsor. "The only reason I'm not mopping the floor with your face right now is because I'm having a good time. So stop trying to make me look like the bad guy here and train your fighters to fight better! Hell, there was four of them and they had weapons and I still beat their asses just by getting my own!"

The Sponsor gritted his teeth, fist trembling at his sides. "Fight better?! That's rich coming from someone like you! A fucking cold-blooded murderer from the Berserker Dragons!"

The club seemed to go cold upon hearing that name, quite whispers between themselves.

Radcliffe felt a shiver go down his spine. He couldn't stand hearing that name, it only brought feelings of dread and pain from faded beatings.

"You should have died like the rest of them!" the sponsor threw his fist, socking Radcliffe right in the cheek.

His balance gave out, and before he knew it his back was on the floor. The people stood to watch the fight unfold, Doug grabbed a beer bottle by the neck and broke the body on the floor. Joe pulled out his Webley as Louis marched over to help Radcliffe back up. Unknown to him, one of the pills fell out of his pocket. He forgot to fully push the cork down on the opening and they spilled out in his deep pocket.

Doug and Joe stood beside Louis and Radcliffe as the fighters beside their sponsor got ready to fight. A gunshot to the air caused a round of screams from the people, one of the four bouncers held his smoking gun in the air.

"Who started this fight?!" the bouncer demanded.

"Those three assholes right there!" the bartender pointed to the fighters. "Get them out of here and beat their asses!"

The bouncers quickly wrested their arms from behind and held tight. They tried to kick and struggle, but the bouncers only held tighter to the point of bruising.

"This isn't over, Radcliffe! You fucking Berserker Dragon trash! Do the world a favor and blow your brains out! Go to hell with the rest of them." the sponsor shouted as he was being dragged out.

After that the club went back to normal with its activity. Louis was about to turn back to their table and happened to look down and see a pill near his foot. He frowned curiously and quickly leaned down to pick it up. The reddish pill was definitely prewar, it had numbers and letters on it that something made in the Wasteland wouldn't have. It was then he saw Radcliffe pat his side pocket and heard a slight rattle, as if there was more in it. He quickly put the pill in his pocket, something in the back of his mind told him he needed to find out what it did.

A waitress came over to mop up the mess on the floor. The bartender offered new drinks on the house to smooth over the trouble. The four sat quietly for a few minutes, the dancer talking to Joe whispered what time she got off into his ear before walking away.

Louis took a sip from his Atomic Slammer to taste it and work up some courage. "So...these Berserker Dragons..."

"Please, just don't." Radcliffe looked down at his drink, swirling it around to discolor the mix. "It's a bloody and horrible piece of history that everyone wants buried and dead." he gulped down his drink in moments. "And yes, I'm pretty much the last one. Not that I ever gave a shit to begin with. They were wiped out when I was young."

"They were really that bad, huh?" Joe asked hesitantly.

"The fucking worse..." Radcliffe stood up from his seat, a hand on his bruised cheek. "Excuse me for a moment. Gonna make sure I'm not missing any teeth."

Louis watched him walk off in a hurry, there was still many questions he wanted to ask, including the pill he picked up.

Radcliffe shoved the door open and let it slam shut behind him. Quickly, he looked down at the stalls to make sure no one was there. He stood in front of the towel dispenser and took a deep long breath. Before slamming his fist into it.

"Fuck!" he punched the metal towel dispenser again, leaving a deep dent. "How hard is it to drug someone?! All I want is to lift that fucking Pip-Boy!" he dug into his pocket and felt the pills. "And now these things are all over the fucking place!"

He took out the pills and put them back in the bottle and pressed the cork down tight. After that he spat blood into the sink from the cut in his inner cheek.

"I'm screwed if I don't get that device. I'll get it even if I have to hack his arm off with my hatchet!" Radcliffe gave his neck bones a round of pops and spat out some more blood. "But first I need a drink to dull this pain."

Radcliffe exited the bathroom and went back to his casual act and ordered more drinks for everyone and mostly himself. The fun continued for another hour as he tried to come up with a new plan. Doug found a stripper with a Vault theme to her bikini that had the number 69 on the left cup and surprised Louis by paying her to give him a lap dance. The group finally got up to leave with over a dozen beer bottles and empty glasses on the table.

They exited the club with staggers to their steps. And lucky the women seemed to have the same idea as well and met up with them outside. Chloe stood in the middle of the three, her arms slung over Victoria and Inez's shoulders.

"Looks like someone partied a little too hard..." Louis chuckled, a little red in the face as well.

Chloe's head swayed back and forth, the world around her spinning. "Sh-shut up. I'm...fine. I just need a moment and...I'll be back at it!"

Asimov, Wayland, and Cavall soon approached them, their timing most likely from the calculations of the Assaultron.

"I take it you all had your fun. Indulging in the pleasures of naked flesh dancing for your amusement." the robot said to them.

"If you mean we had fun, then yes..." Doug rolled his eyes.

"So let's keep the fun going!" Radcliffe spoke out loud. There was still plenty of places he could find another opportunity. "I hear there's a pretty bitchin' night club not too far off!"

Louis' suspicion never left, he thought over everything Radcliffe had done with them and started to realize he had been a bit pushy. "Hey, is there a market nearby? I would like to see what Paradise's Raid has to sell other than booze."

Radcliffe blinked curiously. "You mean like bullets and guns?"

"Yes, like those." Louis answered. "And supplies and maybe a few books?"

"Uh, sure. The market has those kind of places too. Just follow me." Radcliffe took the lead once more.

"The market sounds like a good place to clear our heads after all we've drank." Joe nodded, feeling lightheaded for a moment.

"Hey Joe, what did that stripper tell you?..." Doug knew that wasn't the full truth.

The glow of the Red Light District slowly faded from behind the wanderers. Even though it was late, the market was still alive with people buying from open stands and stores. The location was inside near the next factory, lights from above lit the place as bright as day.

"No shortage of stuff here either." Doug stood impressed by the endless rows of places to buy things.

"As I've always said, you can never have enough ammo..." Joe spoke, heading towards an ammo stand.

Chloe slurred out a few incoherent words, as if trying to get involved with the conversation they were having.

"We'll find a place that sells water." Inez said while adjusting Chloe's arm again. "She's still very drunk."

"You're...drunk..." Chloe retorted with another slur.

Louis stood away from them deep in thought. He watched what the Raiders brought to sell at the market stands. Backpacks and duffle bags of weapons, ammo, clothes, and supplies. That's when Louis noticed something was off, the things they carried seemed out of place even for them. And that's when he saw something that made him piece it together, three Raiders near a stand opened up a dusty backpack with a faded red stain on the side. The Raider took out a few pairs of clothes, some toys, and food packed for traveling.

Louis felt a sick feeling in his stomach, the red stain on the side could only be one thing. Blood from a gunshot wound. All the other Raiders had similar things to sell, supplies from travelers that became victims of their attacks and slaughter.

"Bastards. I shouldn't be surprised..." Louis said to himself, a small group near their location talked about their latest haul.

"Hey Louis," Radcliffe approached him from behind and patted his shoulder. "You said something about books, right? That place over there has books." he pointed to a makeshift housing near the inner wall.

Louis took his thoughts off the Raiders and their ill gotten gain and glanced to Radcliffe. "Right, thank you. I'll be back in a minute..."

He walked off before Radcliffe could say anything else. Louis' sudden change of tone made him worry for a moment.

The Vault dweller approached Doug, who stood in front of a knife stand and looked over the various pocket knives for sale. "I'll be back in a few minutes. Keep on eye on Radcliffe till I get back." he quickly whispered before continuing.

"Not a problem..." Doug replied as he inspected a black knife.

Louis entered the opening, the entire store overflowing with books to the point that at first glance someone would think the entire structure was made of stacked books. At the counter a middle aged woman sat with a book in front of her, passing the time as she flipped the pages.

"Do you have any medical books?" Louis approached the counter and asked. "Preferably ones with information on pills."

The clerk looked up from her book and checked him over. "You look too young to have a hard time getting it up."

Louis felt his face grow hot. "What?! No! I just want to know about a prewar pill that I found."

"The medical books are in the back with a sign above the shelf. But this isn't a library, well preserved books are twenty to thirty caps each."

Louis frowned until an idea came to mind. He reached into his pouch and took out six caps. "How about this? I give you this much and you let me have a quick read. I'll be in and out in a few minutes." he placed the caps down on the counter.

The woman looked at the caps for a moment before dragging them across the counter to her register. "Make it quick."

Louis followed her directions and came up to the shelf of medical books, most in good condition with only a faint smell of mold. His finger ran across the rows until finding what he needed, a medicine book filled with info on every known pill and medication made in the States. He flipped through page after page to find a category, the pill placed on the shelf. SP3271 was the printed number on it, which helped close in on the type until finally finding the right page. That's when he almost dropped the book, the quick description on the brand confirmed his suspicion, a type of sleeping pill for people with heavy insomnia and trouble causing patients in asylums. Louis shoved the pill back into his pocket and returned the book on the shelf. Quickly, he marched back to the entrance and hastily thanked the clerk before leaving.

He hurried back to his friends, they hadn't strayed far from each other during his absence. Radcliffe stood alone not too far from them, his body language showing he was running out of patients. Louis felt like coming up from behind and punching him in the back of the head. He didn't look like the kind of guy that needed sleeping pills considering how much he drank. But Louis played it cool and decided to see if his hunch was right, and that meant going to the dance club he talked about.

"Okay, I'm done browsing the books." Louis said to get their attention.

"And you didn't pick one?" Doug asked surprised. "That's not like you."

"Everything they had was either crumbling or something I've already read or didn't interest me." Louis answered casually as usual. "So, where's this dance club you mentioned? The night's still young after all."

Radcliffe smiled again, his eagerness only making the Vault dweller suspect him more. "About time! You guys will love this, I promise! We're gonna dance the night away."

"Or until we pass out." Doug commented, he saw the world around him hazed for a moment. "And I am not too far behind..."

The wanderers were lead to the far back of the third factory, a dark section with only barrels and literal dumpster fires as light. Crowds moved their way through the dark, some with glow in the dark paint on their bodies and clothes in messy splotches. Soon, music pounded their ears, the ceiling dropping bits of concrete every time a hard beat was played. Large double doors was the only thing that separated them from the full blast of the dance club. Two burly men stood at the sides with another letting people in a few at a time. Once again a mix of Raiders and travelers all looking for a good time to dance and drink.

They approached the door as the men in charge gave them a quick lookover before opening the door. Music came out like a wave, beams of colorful lights flashed high above on the ceiling rafters. The far back held a stage filled with equipment that played music and records, the DJs spun their records on turntables with nearby terminals to control and program the beats.

"I've never heard anything like this before!" Victoria shouted, a finger in each ear.

"What?!" Wayland shouted with a hand to his ear.

The music shocked Chloe out of her daze. "Holy shit! This music is going to give me a hell of a hangover!"

"Say that again?!" Wayland asked her.

"Prolonged exposer to this loud music can damage your hearing later in life. You all shouldn't stay here for too long." Asimov informed, raising his audio a few notches so they could hear.

"That's only if you listen to loud music a lot!" Inez cheered while unzipping the top part of her jumpsuit to cool off.

"Just stay close guys! We don't want to get separated and trampled on!" Joe said as they soon melted in with the many bodies of the club.

"I can't hear you guys!" Wayland shouted once more.

Being a tad intoxicated allowed the wanderers to join in with the dance club more easily. Their guards lost to the freedom of the music, it especially felt like years to Louis and Doug since they truly relaxed. The safety of the town and Vault they came from had that affect, yet Louis never took his eyes off Radcliffe. Doug and Chloe stayed close to Wayland, who had a small and intrigued crowd watching him dance. Asimov and Cavall stayed back near some tables, his visor focused on Inez who was dancing with Joe at the time.

Louis and Victoria ended up dancing close to each other, the redhead finally seemed at ease. She moved to the beats as the strobe lights made her hair look on fire when the red lights flashed. It made Louis happy to see her having fun, the past in the back of her mind for the time being. But then he noticed Radcliffe was nowhere to be seen, and that made him put his attention back on the talk he planned.

He leaned forward to get close to Victoria's ear and shouted. "Where's Radcliffe?!"

"I think he just went to the bar over there!" she shouted back and pointed in the direction.

Louis looked and sure enough saw him, Radcliffe was shouting out some drink orders and it only continued to cement what he suspected. He thanked Victoria and pushed through the crowd, he needed to get them away from prying eyes. Radcliffe was about to finish his drink orders until a hand from behind tapped him on the shoulder. He spun around fast, the music of the dance club made it impossible to hear anything else. And even more so, it surprised him to see Louis with a strange look.

"Is there anywhere quiet we can go?! I want to clear my head!" Louis asked him loudly.

Radcliffe made a quizzical frown, something about his face seemed off. "Uh, yeah, there's a stairwell that leads to the top of this factory! Great view!"

Louis followed him from behind, the crowd slowed them down a little until they reached a door with a busted exit sign above. The music became muffled thumps against the walls once more as they started ascending the winding stairs. As they reached the first landing the sounds of heavy moaning reached their ears from below, two people had left the dance club to give in to their basic desires. They saw more people every few flights, heavily making out without even stopping as they passed. There was even a man passed out on the middle of the stairs, they simply walked over him and continued. They reached the top flight as Radcliffe pushed the door open and let Louis go out first.

The cool night air hit them, drying the sweat from their exposed skin with only the moon lighting the roof. Louis walked out into the opening, the colorful glow from the lights all around the outside of Paradise's Raid shined up at the roof edges. Louis took a moment to take in the view, the endless gray sky from before turned pitch black with heavy cloud formations.

"It's quite a view." Louis commented to the endless barren land. "Although there's not much to see."

"You can say that again..." Radcliffe didn't care for the view. Only the inside interested him.

Now that they were alone, Louis could finally confront him. Reaching into his pocket, he felt the pill and held it between his fingers. He gave the distance one more look before turning around to him.

"Tell me something, this entire place has a lot of themes. By any chance would there be bars on top as well?"

Radcliffe scratched the back of his head, a strange feeling prickling at the back. He closed the door and walked up close, standing only a few feet from him. "Um, there's a few that I know of. Like the Moonlight Lounge, it's an open bar. But I think it's on another factory roof."

"Oh, I just figured you would want to offer me a drink." the look in Louis' eyes harden. "Like you've been doing all night."

The prickling started to go down his spine. "Is...that a problem? I mean, drinking's part of the fun here."

"And is adding strange things part of the fun?" he held his hand up and revealed the pill between his fingers. "Like this?! A sleeping pill that can knock you out in no time?"

Radcliffe felt like a kid caught with hand in the cookie jar, or standing over a murdered body covered in blood. "Where did you-"

"Find it? It fell out of your pocket when you were knocked down." Louis knew he would ask that. "I looked it up in a medical book at the market. It's prewar, you can thank the identification print on it. And it's funny because as I thought before, you don't look like someone who has a hard time sleeping. And you have been a little too insistent on getting drinks."

Radcliffe felt his plans crumble away, and it was before he could even think of a new one. There was no excuse he could say or lie to throw out.

"Tell me the truth! Tell me this is a big misunderstanding. Tell me that I'm wrong right now and we'll forget this ugly business and go back to having fun." Louis demanded him to answer, really hoping he's wrong.

But Radcliffe said nothing, his eyes looked down as if in shame. He knew there would be no point in trying.

"You can't even answer that." Louis tossed the pill, silence was his answer. The pill skittered to a stop at Radcliffe's feet. "I don't know why you would do this, although I assume it involves robbing us. I suppose that should be expected in a place like this. Don't bother me and my friends again."

He shoved his hands into his pockets and headed straight for the door to the flight of stairs. But he didn't get halfway as the cock of a gun hammer made him stop. Louis slowly turned to see Radcliffe's Hardballer aimed at him, he sighed disappointingly. This was also something he expected.

"I'm in debt..." was all he whispered.

Louis barely heard his vocie. "I'm sorry?"

"I said I'm in debt! Seventy thousand caps! I owe seventy thousand to a guy named Seymour!" Radcliffe said much louder. "He's one of the mole-rat fuckers that run this place! Paradise's Raid is built on people crushed by debt. That's why I tried to drug you!"

"So you can steal our stuff to sell it? Are you that desperate?"

"No! Just your Pip-Boy! I've tried to knock you out at first. A Pip-Boy can bring in twenty to thirty thousand caps to the right buyer. I know it's not all of my debt, but it would have at least take a big chunk out of it!" Radcliffe's gun hanged limply for a moment.

"And is this how you want to live the rest of your life?" Louis questioned, not making any sudden moves. "Drinking, screwing, and running from debt? Don't you have anything better in mind than this place? Or are you really going to kill me over this? You'll only end up paying for it."

"The Itinerary people don't care about what the reason is as long as they get paid!" the Hardballer shook a little in his grip. "This isn't personal. I really did have fun for what it's worth."

Louis couldn't help but snicker to that. "Do you usually end fun times with a gun pointed at someone?"

"Not usually..." he said to himself. "Now stop wasting time and hand it over! I don't want to shoot you if I don't have to! I'll take it and you guys won't find me! And don't bother going to the higher ups for help. You have to pay for theft protection, and it's obviously too late for that.

Louis steeled himself, no matter what he wasn't going to have his Pip-Boy taken away again like when he and Doug met Joe. "No. I won't give it. I'm the only one that can use it."

"I'm not kidding! Give it to me now before your buddies are one man short!" Radcliffe held the grip of the gun, his arm started becoming weak for some reason.

"I said no!" Louis raised his left arm up. "You're gonna have to shoot me for it! Gun me down like a common thug. But know this, even if you get out of debt it will only be a matter of time before it happens again. If this place is really bad deep down, then they will never stop squeezing you for every cap. You can do better than this and not live day by day, you can stand up for something and not be such a selfish man."

"That kind of shit will only get you killed, Vault boy!" Radcliffe had enough of his idealistic thoughts. "And it's going to happen soon if you don't hand the Pip-Boy over! You should have just stayed where you belong."

"And do you belong here? Or are you just trying to run from something?" Louis saw his expression, clearly hitting another nerve. "No matter how far you run, eventually it will catch up. But if this place is all you want, then go ahead and shoot..."

Radcliffe took a step forward, steadying his arms and looked down the iron sights. All he had to do was pull, his finger twitching on the trigger. Louis' words cut deep, bringing up things he didn't want to deal with. One of the many benefits of Paradise's Raid, people can come to numb themselves of their problems. Yet the words never stopped ringing in his ears, is this really what he's been reduced to? Holding up someone for an item that wouldn't get him out of debt right away? Before he knew it his arms hanged down, the gun loose in his grip. He just couldn't do it, he had killed a number of times before, yet this method in cold blood didn't sit well.

Louis turned on his heel and headed for the door, in case Radcliffe changed his mind. But the Raider only turned his head upward to the moon, lost in thought. His hand grabbed the door latch and opened it up but paused before going down.

"You know, if you had just told me about this debt, I would have tried to find a way to help you."

Radcliffe turned his head away and huffed. "And why would you do that?"

"Because it's the right thing to do. That's always been my belief, nothing will get better if no one at least tries." Louis answered, not the first time he had been asked that.

Radcliffe scoffed again. "What's the point? It's a waste of time."

"I figured that would be your answer. Take care, Radcliffe. I'm sure it's what you're good at." he then closed the door, its heavy bang made Radcliffe jolt a little from surprise.

It was all over before he even knew it. His debt seemed high as the moon at this point, and now he stood with nothing to show for all his scheming and planning. He walked to the edge of the roof and looked down at the people he could see, pitying how lucky they were to not know the awful things that kept Paradise's Raid running.


	28. WANTED HUNT

**CHAPTER 28: WANTED HUNT.**

" _You cannot escape the responsibility of tomorrow by evading it today." -Abraham Lincoln._

Louis' back slumped against the wall of the stairwell and slowly slid down to his rear. The strength in his legs finally gave out. It was all he could do to put on a brave face with a gun pointed at him.

"Whoa! That was too close..." he placed a hand to the side of his head. "I'm so glad Doug wasn't here, I'd never hear the end of it."

He sat for a few minutes wondering if Radcliffe would come to talk or make an excuse. But he didn't come, which was what he figured to begin with. So he stood back up once his legs felt strong again and went down the winding steps, passing the same people they went by earlier.

Louis reached the door at the bottom of the stairs, the music still pounding loud as ever. He put a smile back on his face and returned to the dance room. It seemed that more people had come in since he was gone, but it wasn't hard to find his friends dancing since they stood out so much. After rejoining them they danced for another hour until deciding to turn in. It was around 1:30 in the morning when they entered their room, although Joe went to the front desk for a moment once they arrived at the hotel.

Asimov acquired them a large room, which proved to be a tad difficult with an Assaultron, a Super Mutant, and a very large canine. Yet once the amount of caps needed to pay for the extra large room came up it quickly ended their fears. Their backpacks and weapons waited in the corner along with bunk beds in very good condition.

Victoria sat down on her bottom bunk and gave it a feel. "I hope they clean these sheets. And bed. And everything else."

"The clerk informed us these beds receive regular cleaning. They want to attract as many customers as possible." Asimov said to her. "And I managed to reduce the prices since I don't require sleep and Cavall will sleep on the floor."

Cavall sniffed around on the floor to find a spot to sleep. He picked a corner, walked in a circle a few times before flopping down and resting his head on his front paws.

Doug pulled off his boots and cargo jacket and stretched for a moment. "So, Louis, I remember you saying something about having a theory on this place. Or was I too drunk at the time?"

"No, you're right. And it turned out to be worse than I thought..." Louis removed his trench coat and put it on a coatrack.

"From the sound of your voice, it isn't good." Inez climbed up her bunk, waiting for him to speak.

"Paradise's Raid truly lives up to its name, but to do that, these Raiders pay their way through with blood and death." Louis took a moment to find a bunk for himself. "I saw my proof at the market."

"And when you say blood and death?..." Joe inquired.

"I saw a few Raiders with backpacks, one of them was covered in blood on the side with a bullet hole." everyone in the room caught on right away. "These people...attack and rob their victims for whatever caps they have and sell everything else. I even heard a few brag about their latest haul. That's how the caps keep flowing in, from the countless victims left beaten and dead while these Raiders drink and party all day long."

Joe had the same thoughts as well. One of the benefits of living for so long gave him a keen sense of seeing these kind of things. "No surprise there. People like them will gut you for the two caps in your pocket."

"All the more reason to leave as soon as possible." Victoria threw back the covers of her bed. "But we need to sleep first. It's been a long and fun night. Despite the present company all around us."

"Speaking of said company, where did Radcliffe go?" Asimov inquired.

"Oh, uh, I wanted to get some air and Radcliffe took me to the roof." Louis answered, a half lie at that. "But then he said there was something he needed to do and left me. It was very sudden."

"That's a bit weird, considering he practically dragged us all over the place." Victoria felt something was strange about the explanation of his sudden departure.

"Well I enjoyed dancing very much." Wayland said with a deep yawn. He laid down on his bottom bunk, which creaked loudly under his weight. "And I liked dancing with you guys too."

Louis smiled towards him. "Yeah, you're pretty good on your feet for someone your size."

"Did you have fun dancing too, Chloe?" Inez asked while taking off her boots. But Chloe didn't answer. She laid face down on the bed with her hair disheveled all over. Inez sighed and got down. "I'll get her boots and combat armor off..."

It didn't take long for everyone else to fall asleep, the long night of partying had taken its toll. That, and of course drinking a little too much all night.

March 29/2296

The first thing Radcliffe felt was a splitting headache, followed by seeing everything in blurry swirls, a weird feeling in his back, and heavy nausea that was creeping up his throat. Radcliffe groaned as he rolled a little and realized he was laying on a narrow platform that felt like old wood against his mostly shaved head. His body tapped something and sent it falling off, it shattered against the floor, the shatter of a glass bottle.

"And there's another fucking mess to clean up." a man's voice near him sighed. "At least that one was empty."

"Why the fuck are you shouting?" Radcliffe curled on the platform he laid on.

"I'm not shouting. You're just really, really, really hungover." the man answered.

His words still felt like stabs in his skull. "Where am I?"

"You're at an open bar. My open bar. The Waste View." the bar owner answered. "And you were here all night long."

"And what am I laying on? My back is killing me."

"The bar itself. You passed out on the bar counter and slept through the night."

Radcliffe finally willed his eyes open, the dark gray sky was the first thing he saw in a heavy blur that slowly cleared. He took in his surroundings and saw several empty beers bottles, a whisky bottle, and a green bottle near him. Radcliffe rolled a little more and knocked over another bottle that fell off and shattered.

"Fuck...what happened last night?..." he asked, swinging his legs around to dangle off the bar counter.

"I wasn't here last night, I have a few employee that run the night shift." the bartender grabbed a broom and dustpan. "And as I was told by them, you came here past midnight, ordered a round of beers. Which then resulted in ordering a bottle of whiskey, followed by rum. And then you downed a whole bottle of absinthe, to which they tried to stop you. After that it was hours of you tripping out, scaring some of the customers away, played a few rounds of pool and won...somehow. And then drank a few more beers before passing out on the bar. So in other words, you were shitfaced."

"You could have just said that from the start..." Radcliffe hopped off the bar and grabbed his pack and LMG that was resting on the floor near the bar lounge. He staggered for a moment, hands resting on his knees as another wave of nausea worked its way up his throat. "Shit, where's the nearest medical place?..."

"Just go back down to ground level and you'll find the market area soon. There should be a doctor's office somewhere." the bartender pointed to the stairway access.

"Thanks for the-" Radcliffe's stomach finally quit on him. He leaned forward and hurled his guts out. Sickly green and brown vomit painted the floor at his feet, the disgusted groans of the patrons made them gag, some also vomited thanks to the sight of seeing Radcliffe do it.

Radcliffe spat out the last of the vomit in his mouth, the queasy sickness in his stomach mostly gone. "Oh, that's so much better! Okay, I'm gonna go visit a doctor." he walked around and reached the stairwell entrance.

"Hey! Cleaning up glass is one thing, but you better clean up that mess! And you didn't pay your bill either! Four hundred caps for all those drinks!" the bartender shouted while coming out from behind the bar.

"Put it on my fucking debt!" Radcliffe hollered at the top of his lungs.

The bartender and those who were listening in jolted from fear. Radcliffe's tone sounded terrifying, like a wild animal snapping at its prey. He turned back to the door and went down the stairs, slamming it shut behind him. Slowly but surely, he staggered his way down, the night before a hazy blur after his failed attempt to steal the Pip-Boy. But what was worse than his hangover was Louis' words bouncing around in his head, it pissed him off to the point of vomiting again if he had anything left in his stomach.

()()()()()()()()()()

In a secret part of Paradise's Raid, a place where only officials are allowed to be, the man known as Seymour sat at a round table. In front of him rested a large folder filled with documents of the income to Paradise's Raid. An Itinerary Man stood next to him.

Seymour grumbled, his patience almost at an end. "What is taking so long?..."

"The meeting starts at nine, sir. And it's five minutes till." the Itinerary Man flipped through the pages of the schedule.

"That's no excuse. They could be here earlier to get this meeting started." Seymour leaned back in his seat with a huff.

The door to the room swung open, a woman wearing an elegant red dress with gold inlets and heels that went all the way up to her knees. Her black hair done up with loose strands. "Honestly, Seymour, I can hear you complaining from the hall..." she spoke, her blue eyes glaring at him.

"About time, Christina. You know these finance meetings are important." Seymour grabbed the folder. "And since you are in charge of all the gambling, I figured you would be more concerned about these things."

"That doesn't mean I should worry myself half to death like you..." Christina sauntered over to her seat and sat down. "You worry way too much."

"And we need to have these bimonthly meetings!" Seymour tapped his index finger on the folder. "Paradise's Raid doesn't run itself."

The door swung open again, a dark skinned man stepped in with his arms raised. He wore a red and purple suit of his own making with the front split open in a 'V' pattern, exposing most of his toned chest and abs. His short hair dyed pink with a number of earrings and piercings.

"Hello, honeys! Leroy is in the house!" he shouted flamboyantly, carrying a song in his voice.

"Oh, god, I wish you sat this one out." Seymour rubbed the bridge of his nose.

"Sweety, don't be like that! You need to relax more." Leroy sat down at his seat and kicked his legs up on the table. "And for the record, I do care about these meetings. I need to make sure our finances are in order so I can keep my sweeties nice and healthy for clients."

Another man entered the room, wearing black leather with armor. His head shaved and a thick brown beard with braided. "Stop calling your whores, sweeties. I'm warning you, if you get too lenient on them, they will get lazy with their work."

"And here comes Karl! Stomping in here with his big boots and 'tough guy' exterior!" Leroy mocked while swing his arms side to side as if he was marching.

"Say one more word, you gender confused, over glorified pimp, and I'll drop you from highest point of Paradise's Raid!" Karl harshly pointed his finger towards him, the thought had crossed his mind on many occasions.

"Ooh! Getting rough? I love it rough!" Leroy winked seductively.

Once more the door opened, another woman with tanned skin and messy brown hair stepped in. Wearing a dirty jumpsuit. "Hey, everyone, I just got done fixing a water purification hub, it's very dirty work in case you didn't know. And then I come here for the meeting and you all are about to kill each other."

"Stacy, you have other people to fix things. You don't have to overlook every form of maintenance." Seymour huffed, wishing she took the time to clean up. "And would it have killed you to take a quick shower?"

"Can we just get this meeting started?" Christina placed her elbows on the table and supported her chin with her hands.

"We need to wait for Horton." Karl crossed his arms hastily. "Which will take all damn day."

"Not as long as you think, asshole."

The people in the room turned to the man at the door, his enormous belly barely squeezing through. His stomach barely covered by a white shirt, yet dark blue jeans and jacket covered his surprisingly muscular limbs and chest. His balding head showed he was around middle aged.

"And here he is, everyone! The rarest thing to see in the Wasteland! A fatass!" Stacy announced like a showman. "It's like seeing a unicorn. A very fat unicorn..."

"Your attempts to insult me are pitiful..." Horton walked over and sat down in his seat, which creaked under his weight. "I don't spend all day sucking down on grease and filth like you. I enjoy the finer things in life, tasting the food of the past and finding ingredients that are worth ten times their weight in gold or water! A connoisseur of flavor that so few get to enjoy compared to the meager slop that others survive on!"

"And when I see your jowls jiggle, I lose my appetite..." Karl sneered in disgust.

"If you guys are done fighting like children, let's get this meeting going already..." Seymour picked up the folder and opened it.

"There's the pot calling the kettle black again..." Christina whispered to Stacy.

()()()()()()()()()()()()

Doug awoken to the feeling of something heavy on his legs. He sat up and saw Cavall laying on him below the waist. "Cavall? What are you doing? Get off me! My legs are going numb."

Cavall's ears perked, woken by Doug's voice. Instead of getting off, Cavall's bushy tail started wagging and he crawled forward to Doug and started licking his face.

"No! Cavall! Stop it, down boy! Cavall! I hate it when you lick my face! Your breath stinks!" Doug tried to push him off, but the hybrid proved to be too strong when excited.

Everyone stirred awake upon hearing Doug's shouts. Some of them still feeling the headache of a hangover. Louis got down and planted his feet on the floor and stretched before looking to Joe's bed and saw he wasn't there.

"What? Where'd Joe go?"

"Why are you people shouting?!..." Chloe muttered, throwing the pillow over her face.

"We're not shouting. You're just really hungover..." Victoria said while getting up to stretch.

Inez got down and started pulling her jumpsuit up. "Louis does have a good point, where is he?"

"He won't go far." Doug finally managed to get Cavall off his bed. "What time is it anyway?"

Louis checked his Pip-Boy. "A little past ten."

Wayland sat up from his bed, a rumble of hunger came from his stomach. "Is it too late for, uh, breakfast?"

"I suppose we shouldn't leave without eating first." Doug threw on his cargo jacket and started gathering his gear. "I don't suppose Radcliffe is going to meet up with us?"

Louis remembered the night before, being held up at gunpoint and arguing back and forth for the Pip-Boy. "I doubt it. He seemed busy, or something..."

Asimov tilted his head curiously, sensing he still wasn't being honest. "Did something happen between you two?"

"It's like I said, he just had something to do..." Louis threw his trench coat on and adjusted it.

"We should check outside, Joe might just be in the hall." Victoria finished putting her boots on and tied the laces.

Louis walked over to the door and pulled it open, looking around for their missing friend. Before giving up and turning away, the door from across their room opened up. A blonde woman, the very stripper that danced for Joe last night came out. Fully dressed with her hair a little disheveled. She paid him no mind and left the hall that lead out into the check in room. Louis raised a curious brow, the answer came a few moments later when Joe walked out of the same room, a crooked smile and a freshly lit cigarette.

He noticed Louis and grabbed the cigarette with his fingers. "Uh, hey, Louis. You guys are up earlier than I expected..."

Louis hummed in his throat. "Seems like you had a fun late night..."

"Hey, when you look like this and a beautiful woman hits on you, then you take that opportunity to have fun." the Ghoul shrugged. "I'll get my stuff."

Soon the wanderers were packed and ready, one last visit to the Chow Station to eat before leaving. They needed to cover as much ground as possible since they got a late start to the day.

()()()()()()()()()()()()()()

At first glance anyone who saw the leaders of Paradise's Raid would think they were simply a group of people who couldn't get along. And most would be right at that part. Yet anyone who hanged around them long enough would also learn they commanded an air of respect and fear. They had the resources and the manpower to take down anyone that stood against them despite the many issues they had with each other.

"And on that note, we need to make an investment in more concrete and rebar. The east wall section has started to show signs of age." Seymour showed them information on graphs and charts on a board he had rolled in. "And the gambling district needs more security, we've had at least four attempts on the treasury vault in the last month."

"For once I truly agree with you." Christina said while casually flipping through pages of her notes.

"Forget increasing security in the gambling places." Karl slammed the side of his fist on the table. "We already have more than enough High Lookers as it is. I am swamped with recruits." he looked to Leroy, who was filing his blue and pink colored nails. "In other words, Leroy, either get more birth control pills and condoms, or make your whores get abortions! I know we use the little gutter rats as free labor, but we'll be overrun in a few years!"

"Stop acting like my honeys are breeding like mutant rabbits!" Leroy clicked his tongue. "We only get a handful of births a year. You do realize it takes nine months to make a baby, right? Or did mommy and daddy not tell you about the birds and the bees?"

Karl slammed his hands on the table and stood up, ready to strangle him.

"Settle down! Just send any spare laborers to me." Stacy spoke up. "We need more people for maintenance, I'll have them trained for that kind of work."

"Good idea." Christina raised her hand for a moment. "It's nice to have security, that way travelers will feel safe with all these Raiders around. But too many will put them all on edge. How do we expect them to have fun and spend caps when everywhere they turn someone is breathing down their neck?"

"That still doesn't change the fact that we have a lot of mouths to feed. Both the people who come and those who live and work here." Horton cleared his flabby throat. "For years, I've kept fresh food, clean water, and other much needed supplies coming! Paradise's Raid is probably one of the very few places in this country, if not the entire world, where people can have a taste of the past! Thanks to my research, I've tracked down transportation routes that went to Super-Duper Marts all over! I've found ingredients that no one has seen before! I've even found spices like oregano!"

"Settle down before you drop dead from a heart attack..." Stacy sighed, her eyes covered by her palm. "Every time we talk about food you get like this!"

"Even so, he does have a point." Seymour spoke while gathering his notes back up. "Keep the people drunk and fed, and the caps and trade keep coming. And I keep track of the debts."

"Speaking of debts," Christina grinned mischievously. "I heard that a certain someone owes seventy thousand caps. That someone wouldn't be Radcliffe, would it?..."

"I gave him a few months to pay it. Not that I expect him to."

"Then what are you going to do if he doesn't?" Leroy asked before clapping his hands. "Oh! You can send him to me! I think he's kinda cute!"

"I haven't thought of anything yet. But either way, he will pay." Seymour's mind flooded with past thoughts, for years he wanted to make Radcliffe suffer. He had always hated him with a passion. "And if he can't pay his debt, well, that will be just one less Raider scum in the world."

"Yes, I hear he's a Berserker Dragon." Stacy's tone change to that of concern. "And I heard they were all killed more than a decade ago. But it seems one rat scurried away."

"It doesn't matter anymore." Seymour cut in sharply. "Radcliffe is a nobody. A selfish, lying, whoring, two-bit drunk. As soon as his debt's paid he can rot in a ditch."

The door of the meeting room slowly opened, a man holding a suitcase carefully stepped in. "Uh, excuse me, sirs?..."

Karl's palm slammed on the table, shaking everything on it. "You people were told not to bother us unless it's an emergency!"

"Sorry, sir!" the man cowered at the opening. "But Horton told me to bring this to him as soon as possible!"

Horton shot up from his seat, his bloated belly jiggling as he moved towards the man. "Yes! I've waited for so long!" he took the case from the man and returned to his seat.

The latches flipped up, he opened it and gasped with delight. Inside contained eight stacked boxes of snack food, preserved for more than two hundred years. He ripped open a box and took out a yellowish, rectangle sponge cake wrapped in plastic.

"One of the rarest snacks ever! A Golden Cream!" he shoved the yellow cake into his mouth and chewed noisily. "Mmm! The creamy filling on the inside is like no other!" he unwrapped another and wolfed it down. "Snack cakes like these are worth a fortune!"

"Until you eat them all..." Christina scoffed, watching him eat yet another.

"There's thirty more cases of those snack cakes, sir." the delivery man spoke. "It's as you discovered, the cakes were found in a small warehouse depot along with others that-"

"I don't care for the details." Horton cut off with a wave of his hand. "All I care about is what I requested to be found. Tell the people who brought the cases will be paid once this meeting is done." he then unwrapped another and ate it.

"You better make sure the rest are sold." Karl glared at him. "That crap is worth ten times its weight in caps."

"If we're done with this distraction, let's get back to business." Seymour said before they got behind schedule. "Since Stacy brought it up, we should discuss fees to supply more materials for fixing our power generators and water pumps."

Everyone but Stacy groaned and complained in annoyance.

()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()

Radcliffe sat at a table near a food stand in the open market, slowly chewing on a bread roll. A plate that once had scrambled eggs and bacon was long finished with an empty pitcher of water next to it. A quick visit to a doctor's office and a handful of pills helped him recover from his binge drinking last night. But the medication left him a little drowsy for the time being.

' _And is this how you want to live the rest of your life? Drinking, screwing, and running from debt?'_

Louis' words rang in his head yet again, and the hangover wasn't helping either. The night played over and over in his mind, and a part of him wished he pulled the trigger and be done with it. His open palm slammed on the table and threw the bread roll on his plate.

"Fucking Vault dweller! Who the hell does he think he is?! Lettering me on what's right and wrong! He's lucky to have those friends or he would've been dead a long time ago! He doesn't belong in this kind of world! The weak and helpless die, that's all there is too it!"

Radcliffe leaned back in his seat and kicked up the front legs and watched as the people went about their day. Paradise's Raid never rested for a minute. The sound of a man shouting caught his attention, an owner of a food stand yelled at a kid that worked for him. Most likely another child with no choice but to stay and work to survive.

The sound of caps scraping on wood came to his ears next. A few tables over a quivering man pushed a heap of caps towards an Itinerary man with two High Lookers standing behind him. Just another poor bastard in debt and paying with whatever caps he could scrounge up. A scene he had seen many times before but never gave it any thought up until now. The Itinerary man started counting the caps, but by the disapproving look on his face it probably wasn't enough.

Another scene caught his eye, a small group of Raiders fresh from the Wasteland carried duffle bags and backpacks. Another scene he had seen many times before too. The items they carried didn't belong to them, they were dirty and looked roughed up in a struggle. More victims attacked and killed just for their stuff, and for some reason it made Radcliffe sick now.

His chair legs slammed back onto the concrete and stood up. Radcliffe grabbed the remaining bread roll and started chewing while walking off, almost forgetting his weapons and pack for a moment. He had no place to go and he couldn't leave Paradise's Raid. It had become just like a jail and he didn't even realize it up until now. Radcliffe wandered into an alley section and slumped against the wall. A chuckle escaped from his throat, the irony wasn't lost on him about becoming a prisoner in a place he treated like home.

"I wonder if this is how everyone who fell into debt feels like?" he asked himself. "Can't run, can't leave, can't get out of debt. Seymour's gonna kill me, I just know it."

Radcliffe slumped to the ground and looked up to the sky. The artificial lights of Paradise's Raid only helped punctuate how much of a fraud the place was deep down. Fake lights, fake sky, and fake pleasures, all of it under a gray and abysmal sky.

"How many years has it been since I saw the sun? How many years has it been since I lost that shit pit I was born into?" he wondered out loud. The tattoo on his back a permanent mark to the cursed history of the Berserker Dragons. "I suppose this is the way it should end. I was born into a horrible Raider group that everyone is glad they're dead, seems fitting I would die in a place like this and no one would give a damn."

He reached behind and grabbed the LMG hanging from his back and held it in his hands. An idea suddenly popped into his head, a surprisingly dark idea even for him. Radcliffe knew the leaders of Paradise's Raid always had meetings, and he had a good idea where they always meet.

"Maybe I should go with a bang." Radcliffe started to like the idea more and more. "I know I can't pay my debt, but at least I'll teach them a lesson in pissing me off! People will remember me for years!"

A sudden clatter in the distance almost made him pull the trigger, and that was the last thing he needed right now considering the trigger on the LMG can be a little sticky.

"Don't let them escape into the vents!" a voice echoed from within the alley.

Radcliffe couldn't help his curiosity, he stood up and started making his way towards the noise. More sounds of a struggle was soon heard, he recognized the heavy clomping of boots from High Lookers. The sound of a boy's yell and a girl's scream came next. Radcliffe felt the hairs on his neck stand up, something about the screams felt familiar. A baby's sudden cry finally confirmed who they were, the very children he fed yesterday.

"How hard is it for you guys to capture a bunch of kids?"

Radcliffe could easily tell it was an Itinerary man calling the shots.

"Shut up! If you got a problem with it, then do it yourself!" one of the High Looker's shouted back.

Finally, Radcliffe turned the corner and saw the scene before him. Three High Lookers and an Itinerary man captured the children. One held the boy, another held the dark skinned girl tightly by the arm, and another kneeled in front of an open vent reaching in to grab the blonde girl holding the baby that was starting to fuss from all noise.

"And I don't need to remind you that Seymour and the others want these brats finally caught." the Itinerary man retorted. "They've been scurrying around like rats for too long..."

The boy happen to look over and see Radcliffe peaking around the corner. For a moment he felt a rush of hope.

"Just hold onto your fucking clipboard and wait!" the High Looker reaching for the girl in the vent tried again.

The baby began to cry, his shrill scream made Radcliffe's chest tighten. And before he knew it, he stepped out from the turn as if something at the back of his mind was pushing him to go.

"Excuse me, how's it hanging?" he called out to them.

The four men shot their eyes towards him, for a moment they worried before realizing who it was. "Oh, Radcliffe, right? What the hell are you doing here?" the Itinerary man asked with a frown.

Radcliffe wanted to ask himself the same question. "Uh, you know, just wandering around..." he started walking closer, not showing an interest in the kids. "So...these kids with you guys?"

"Just mind your own fucking business, you drunk bastard!" the High Looker holding the girl's arm warned, not realizing he squeezed her arm tight again.

"Now, now, there's nothing to worry about." the Itinerary man chuckled. "This is Radcliffe. He only cares about himself."

Radcliffe took offense to his tone but kept pressing. "Right, but still, isn't harassing a bunch of kids beneath your paygrade?"

"We do whatever job needs to be done here." the Itinerary man held the thick clipboard to his side. "But if you must know, these brats have been loose for too long. And everyone who lives here must pull their weight." he looked to the kids like they were animals. "The boy will make a great worker. And he's still small, plenty of places he can get in to. And the two girls had good for nothing mothers that came here years ago and got into debt. But they had no relations to each other, just similar events. So they started working in the Red Light District to pay their debts like so many others. But the good for nothing whores died a few years later and left these little brats. They'll cook and clean until their old enough and hopefully look good enough to work the brothels. And as for the baby, that's a more complicated matter..."

"What's so complicated about a baby? You just have to feed him and shit..." Radcliffe said, something felt really wrong.

"Unfortunately the baby needs to disappear..." the Itinerary man continued.

"Disappear?..."

"Hey! Keep your big mouth shut!" the High Looker holding the boy snapped at him.

"It's fine. Like I said, Radcliffe doesn't give a damn. Nobody cares about what it takes to run Paradise's Raid." the Itinerary man ignored him. "The baby needs to die. Apparently the dad comes from a settlement a few hours away from here just outside the gray clouds. He frequented this place and had a thing for blondes with curly hair. But then he discovered the kid was born after she died in labor and _his_ father paid to have the baby...go away..."

Radcliffe's throat went dry, he had done horrible things before, yet killing a defenseless baby made him want to puke again. "Jesus fucking Christ! You're going to kill a baby on the off chance he's some asshole's kid?!"

"Oh, Radcliffe, I don't kill kids. That's what these men are for..." he pointed his thumb to the guards. "And his father was the one who requested it. Normally I would agree with you on this, but the man often booked the woman all the time. And his father doesn't want his reputation tarnished, they're _pillars_ of the community and all that. And I suppose he doesn't want his son's family to find out either. Now if that's all, we need to get back to business."

Radcliffe's eyes fell on the kids, something at the back of his mind told him to just turn around and leave. The kids aren't his problem, never have been. And he regretted giving them that jerky too. Yet he couldn't turn away, their pleading eyes begged him to save them, something he wished someone did a long time ago when he was their age. Maybe it wasn't the bang he expected, but at least for once he could do something good for someone else.

"Hey, how about I give you guys a hand? I can be pretty good with kids." he started approaching them, a hand drifting towards the Hardballer.

All four of them snorted with laughter. "You, with kids?! I think an unstable mini nuke in your backpack would be safer than kids!" the Itinerary man was on the verge of losing it.

"No, really, I know how to..." Radcliffe soon stood in front of the first High Looker holding the boy. No turning back now. "Surprise them!"

His hand grabbed the gun, and like lighting he swung outward and struck the man across the face with the slide and broke his nose in the process. Radcliffe had wanted to beat up a High Looker for a very long time and it felt good. The man screamed as blood dribbled from his broken nose, even a heavily trained man like him couldn't take the sudden pain and released the boy.

"Let the kids go! Now! Put your fucking hands up!" he aimed at them, a streak of blood on the slide dripped off.

All four men raised their hands up, the confusion on their faces made him smile brightly.

Radcliffe backed off a few steps and looked to the kids. "Alright, come on. Get behind me." the kids hesitated, they stood just as confused by the sudden assault by the man they met yesterday. "It's all right, I'm going to get you guys out of here! I promise, no matter what it takes."

The kids felt their fears go away for now and quickly ran behind him as the girl with the baby crawled out of the open vent.

"Alright, just follow my lead. We'll get out of this terrible place." Radcliffe started backing away, keeping his gun trained on the men.

"Are you completely drunk out of your mind, Radcliffe?!" the Itinerary man asked with a shout.

"No. Which is surprising even for me." Radcliffe couldn't have them follow, needed to give themselves time. "I was planning on giving the people who run this place a piece of my mind by blowing theirs out. You know, go out with a bang and all that shit since I'll never pay that debt anyway..."

"And now you've openly threaten the people in charge?! You're a dead man, Radcliffe! Dead!"

"Maybe so, and speaking of bangs..." Radcliffe looked down to their knees and smiled.

The children picked up and covered their ears. Four quick shots rang out in the alleyway, he ignored their pleas as they fell in a row. All they could do is cover their bleeding wounds, the moans of pain made Radcliffe chuckle at his work. Another thing he had always wanted to do, shoot an Itinerary man and High Looker.

"Alrighty, kids. Time to go." Radcliffe put his gun away.

They needed to hurry, more would be coming soon. It took Radcliffe a few minutes to realize he had pulled this all off in the heat of the moment, and he couldn't help but laugh at himself again. "Boy, I've really stepped into it now." he turned his head to the kids behind, staying close like a lifeline. "Eh, I'll make it worth it..."

Radcliffe and the kids came out from the alley at a quick pace and moved several meters away as more High Lookers came running into the alley. Thankfully they didn't spot them, Radcliffe exhaled the breath he held during that time. Thinking of a solid plan was never his strong suit, especially on the fly. First thing he needed was to find a place for all of them to hide, it won't take long before Seymour put out the Wanted Hunt.

()()()()()()()()()()

A tenth plate was placed on stack of plates, Wayland finally sated his hunger. "I never knew pancakes tasted so good!" the Super Mutant sighed happily.

"And very filling from what I hear." Doug said, hoping he was finally done eating.

Louis checked his Pip-Boy again before covering it with his trench coat sleeve. If there one good thing about last night, he learned to keep his device hidden from now on. "So, I believe we're all ready to go?"

"As long as we walk quietly..." Chloe's head still pounded from the hangover.

"We'll try, but no promises." Joe stood up with his gear in hand.

"I have noticed Cavall leaving moments ago." Asimov informed them.

Louis turned around and saw the large canine wandering off into a nearby alley. "I'll get him. Just give me a minute."

He hurried to the narrow opening and went in as Cavall went around the turn. Louis followed and found him sniffing the air as if searching for something.

"Cavall, do you really need to sniff every inch of this place to find a spot to go?" he asked as if the hybrid would answer.

"Now I'll go get some supplies, can't go into the Wasteland without any." a familiar voice reached Louis and Cavall's ears. Radcliffe came running out with children following. "You guys just stay here and I'll be-"

Both men looked each other dead in the eyes, the awkward tension was almost palatable. It wasn't even a day later since Radcliffe held him at gunpoint. And he felt Louis might return the favor, having every right to.

"Uh, hey, Louis..."

"Hey yourself." Louis looked to the kids and frowned. "This better not be what I think it is."

Radcliffe stood confused for a moment before going wide eyed. "What, no! Come on, even I wouldn't stoop so low!"

"Then what is this? Oh, please tell me they aren't your kids."

"Unfortunately it's a lot more complicated than that." Radcliffe glanced back to the children. "I need to get them out of Paradise's Raid or they're just going to be stuck here for life."

Louis couldn't think of a way to respond to that. "Just hold on, start from the beginning."

"Hey, Louis! You back here taking a dump with Cavall?" Doug called from behind and stopped upon seeing the Raider. "Radcliffe? Why are you running around in an alley...with kids?"

The rest soon followed, all of them spread out in the narrow passage. "What's the hold up?" Joe asked, also seeing Radcliffe.

"Goddamn it!" Radcliffe threw his head back, having all of them involved was the last thing he wanted. But in that instance he thought it might work in his favor. "Okay, look. First thing, Louis, I'm sorry I tried to rob you. It was a shitty thing to do!"

"Whoa, hold on, what's he talking about?" Doug asked, deep down he knew he couldn't be trusted "Rob you of what?"

"I'm in debt. I tried to hold him up for his Pip-Boy. I even tried to drug him at the bar and then tried to drug the three of you in the strip club and tried to think of more ways to steal it until he figured it out on the roof!" Radcliffe quickly blurted out, time was growing shorter by the second.

In that moment, the barrels of Joe's Webley, Victoria's .223, Chloe's plasma pistol, and Doug's Browning 9mm pointed directly at him. Any normal person would be terrified in this situation, but it was a scene he had been in a number of times.

"I get it, you're pissed. But please, help me get these kids out of this place first." He said with both hands up in defense. "Then you all can kick my ass, or shoot me, or both!"

"All good options." Inez crossed her arms to retrain herself from pulling out her Beretta. "We shouldn't waste time listening to him and his lies."

But Louis never stopped watching the children, even as they petted Cavall, who happily allow them. He wanted to know the full story, because it seemed that his words might have gotten through. "Let's hear him out. I want to hear about these kids first before we decide anything."

"No promises..." Joe said while lowering his gun.

Radcliffe sighed in relief, he really didn't want to be shot right now. "Thank you guys. I'll start from the beginning..."

()()()()()()()()()()()()()

The meeting between the leaders was finally winding down, and it was something they all couldn't wait for since tensions always ran high at some point or other.

"And in conclusion, _Leroy_ , hosting a Carnival style party where we allow public nudity is a very, very, _very,_ bad idea. So once again the answer will be no!" Seymour said as he gathered his papers into the folders.

"You people are the definition of no fun!" Leroy pouted dramatically.

"Finally this meeting is over..." Christina said, using a folder as a fan.

The door slammed open, startling all in the room. "For fuck's sake! Horton, if this is another snack cake delivery, I'm going to feed you my fist!" Karl shouted towards him.

Two guards carried the shot Itinerary man by the arms, his bullet wound covered in bandages. "Sir, we have a problem! Radcliffe's gone crazy! He shot me and three other High Lookers! He also took the little brats too! The ones that you want captured! And what's worse, he openly made threats on your lives!"

Seymour's fists clenched hard, his teeth gritted to the point that he might need a dental check. This was the last straw, he slowly stood up from his seat, even the others didn't dare anger him at this point. "That's...it! I figured Radcliffe would pull a stupid move! Just not this soon, but no matter! Time to put out the Wanted Hunt!"

Leroy clapped his hands giddily. "Ooh! I can't remember the last time we've had one!"

"This will be very entertaining. Our guards will get a workout." Karl smiled through his thick beard.

Horton shot up. "I'll get some snacks and watch the monitors!"

"I'm going to the betting parlors," Christina hurried towards the door. "Betting on a Wanted Hunt doesn't happen everyday."

Stacy rested a hand under her chin. "I just know I'm gonna have a lot of shit to fix..."

It took several long minutes for Seymour to reach the monitoring room, he was going to revel in making Radcliffe suffer. He didn't care about the debt, all he wanted was his bloody and beaten body dragged before him to personally wipe out the last of the Berserker Dragons with his own hands.

He flung open the double doors of the monitoring room. The men and women inside turned their attention to him, worry and confusion written all over their faces of him coming so suddenly.

"Seymour, sir! What can we do for you?" the man in charge asked nervously.

"Putting out a Wanted Hunt." he answered while brushing by. The room was wall to wall with small monitors and people sitting at control stations watching and recording the video feeds throughout Paradise's Raid. "And wait until you guys get a load of who I'm putting the call out on."

"Is it Radcliffe?..."

"No it's-well yes, it's him." Seymour huffed and picked up the main microphone.

()()()()()()()()()()()

"So because the baby might be someone's kid, they're going to kill him like he's just a radroach!" Radcliffe finally finished explaining to the wanderers.

The group stood silent and disgusted, words simply failed them on the subject.

"Seems like they don't have to make deals with slavers." Victoria's curled fists trembled. "They keep the very people who live and work here trapped like prisoners!"

"You either get born into this place or indebted." Doug looked down to the ground. "I've heard of twisted business practices, but this is just sick."

"If these children are wanted, we're gonna have to think of a way to smuggle them out." Asimov already started processing plans of escape. "Perhaps we can buy a cart and hide them in it?"

Radcliffe smiled to himself, surprised by their generosity. "I can't believe you guys want to help. And to think I was about to go out in a blaze of glory. Which is good because on second thought I really don't want to die right now."

A sudden crackle of static came from above, almost all of Paradise's Raid seemed to go silent and all activity froze. A few announcement beeps signaled that someone was about to talk.

"What's that noise?" Wayland looked up, a nearby speaker hanged high above.

"Oh, shit. It's too late." Radcliffe felt a cold shiver down his spine. They had officially ran out of time. "We're fucked now..."

" _Attention! This is Seymour, leader of finances and trade!"_ he announced, an arrogance voice to his title. _"We have a troublemaker amongst us! I'm sure most of you have heard about Radcliffe! He has caused countless problems for years and has now verbally made threats on our lives, we who run Paradise's Raid! So, by our authority, a Wanted Hunt has been placed on his head! Anyone who brings him in will receive a ten thousand cap reward! Bring him alive and mostly unharmed, that is an order! He will also have three children and a baby in tow, bring them in alive and completely unharmed as well for an additional thousand caps! Radcliffe is considered armed and dangerous, especially when drunk, use extreme caution when capturing him! Hurry before he tries to escape, that is all!"_

The speakers went silent, almost all of the residents in Paradise's Raid went into an uproar. Ten thousand caps was too good to pass up for most Raider gangs, and most of those who were just traveling stayed out of it. There would be too many people clawing and crawling over each other for the reward.

Already, the wanderers could hear shouts of people looking for Radcliffe. Everyone claiming they've seen him here and there, running around aimlessly with no real direction and only hoped they would find him first. Footsteps started getting closer to the alleyway they stood in, and it was possible the people searching might think the wanderers were with him.

Louis' hand reached for his Desert Eagle. "This complicates things very much."


	29. ESCAPE FROM PARADISE

**CHAPTER 29: ESCAPE FROM PARADISE.**

" _A fool's paradise is a wise man's hell." -Thomas Fuller._

The footsteps grew louder and closer to the alley entrance, along with a number of clamoring voices. The wanderers stepped back, hands reaching for their guns as the children hid behind Radcliffe. But another shouting voice drew them away, claiming they knew where Radcliffe was last spotted. They waited anxiously for a few moments until the footsteps went away.

"Looks like we avoided trouble," Louis took his hand away from the Desert Eagle. "For now."

"No one has any reason to suspect us." Victoria put her .223 away, glad they avoided a shootout. "But now there's no place for Radcliffe and the children."

Asimov's arm laser guns folded back into his forearms. "It won't take long for them to set up guards at certain points. And the High Lookers will be all over on the catwalks. Our options are very limited at this point."

"Look, take the kids and I'll distract them." Radcliffe brandished his Hardballer. "The reward on me is much more. Just pretend the kids belong to you and get out."

"Again with the suicide plunge?" Louis looked over to him. "We've been in tight situations before. Just stay with us and we'll figure something out."

"Is he always this positive?..." Radcliffe asked the rest of the group.

To which Doug rolled his eyes and answered. "You have _no_ idea..."

Inez didn't mind the idea of him making a distraction. But for now she kept her thoughts to herself.

"Radcliffe, how long have you been moving around in the back alleys before finding us?" Joe asked him.

The Raider thought about it for a few moments. "Well...half an hour I would guess. Why?"

"Because I was thinking we move through the alleys and find a path to the exit. If we're lucky, we'll wait for an opening and make a rush for it." Joe scratched his chin in thought.

"No way." Radcliffe shook his head. "The two main exits are too far from here, and there will be guards packed up the ass waiting for me."

"Unless we make our own..." Louis suddenly spoke.

"Our own? What are you thinking of?" Chloe asked, knowing that look on his face.

"If all the exits are blocked or guarded, then we need to make our own. Knock down a wall that leads to the outside." Louis started thinking of the layout of Paradise's Raid from what he remembered seeing on the display maps they passed.

"Hate to spoil your idea, but knock down a wall with what?" Inez asked bewildered. "We don't have any explosives on us."

Wayland held his hand up. "If the wall isn't too thick, then I can probably break through."

"Well, you did play tug-of-war with a Sentry Bot, so there's no questioning how strong you are." Doug nodded in agreement.

"Hold on a second." Victoria spoke. "Everyone's searching everywhere. Won't that mean the alleys too?"

"Probably not right away." Radcliffe looked back behind them. "The alleys are off limits, and people like to avoid them because they either get lost or run into some critter that slipped in. Usually drunks just end up passing out here, we even walked over a few drunks laying on the ground before running into you guys."

"Alright, it's a plan for now." Louis looked Radcliffe in the eyes, and it made the Raider worry for a moment. "But when we get these kids out, you and me are going to have a very long talk."

"Whatever it is, please just not in the face." Radcliffe turned to start leading them. "Now follow me. I know the alleys better than most people. Just pray everyone's looking somewhere else."

Cramped and dirty, that was the quickest way to describe the back alleys of Paradise's Raid. Everyone walked single file just to get some space. Garbage littered the ground beneath their feet, everything from broken bottles to cans of food and even empty bullet casings. Which gave a foreboding sense to the wanderers, only Radcliffe and the children didn't seem to be bothered by what they passed. The children were the only ones comfortable enough thanks to their small size. They positioned them in the middle of the line for protection.

Louis walked in front of the children at the moment, there was still some questions he wanted to ask. "So, how old are you kids? What's your names?" he asked gently, but all the children did was either look down or away to his questions.

"Forget it." Radcliffe said, walking behind the kids. "I tried asking them some of the same questions and they didn't respond to any of them. They're pretty afraid of adults."

"And they're very stunted too." Louis looked back over his shoulder to them. "It's going to take a long time to readjust, where are you even going to take them?"

Radcliffe chuckled bashfully to himself. "I...haven't gotten that far yet. I don't even have a place to go in mind..."

"Are you serious?!" Inez couldn't believe what she heard. "Just about everyone here is turning this place upside down to get you and you don't even have a plan once or _if_ you get out?!"

Radcliffe stopped and turned to her. "Hey, I admit I'm not exactly the best at coming up with plans quickly. Okay?"

Inez sighed and uttered a number of cusses in Spanish so the children wouldn't understand what she spoke.

Joe suddenly came to a halt, Wayland almost ran over him as the rest of the group stopped one after the other. The Ghoul stood still with his eyes dead ahead.

"Joe, what's the hold up?" Doug called up to him.

"We...might have a problem." he answered as heavy footsteps started echoing in their direction.

Four different voices clamored with each other, all them saying and cursing Radcliffe's name as they got closer. The wanderers couldn't turn and run fast enough without making too much noise. Doug acted quickly and pulled out his Browning and got behind Radcliffe and poked the barrel to the back of his head. Radcliffe almost turned to fight back on instinct, Doug quickly grabbed his upper arm to hold him in response.

"Don't struggle. Just play along." Doug loudly whispered.

Radcliffe thankfully caught on and raised his hands up. The children looked to him, thinking they had been betrayed by the group. Radcliffe hushed them with a finger to his lips and winked an eye to play along as well.

"There's no way he's hiding here!" one of the people spoke.

"He has to be!" another man said as they got closer.

"And you guys will scare him off with all that yelling! So shut it!" a gruffer voice snapped at them.

The group of Raiders came around the turn, still talking their heads off before coming to a halt upon seeing the odd wanderers. All four men frowned when they saw Radcliffe with a gun to the back of his head, and the kids tagging along in front of him.

"What the hell's going on here?!" one Raider with an eyepatch frowned his good eyebrow.

"What's it look like? We caught Radcliffe and the kids." Doug quickly replied to them, giving Radcliffe another poke.

"Right! I was no match for them!" Radcliffe spoke, playing along terribly. "They moved like Deathclaws and had me cornered in moments."

"Please, just stop talking..." Victoria muttered to herself.

"Shit! We barely started searching and these assholes already caught them?!" a bald Raider groaned in annoyance.

"Right, we caught them fair and square." Louis spoke next. "Now if you'll excuse us, we're going to collect the bounty on this incredibly smelly man..."

Radcliffe frowned and lowered his head to sniff his chest and armpit quickly, it had been a long time since he washed his clothes. A very long time.

"Hold on a second." the fourth Raider with a burn on the side of his cheek suddenly said. A knife hanged from the belt, his fingers suddenly touched the hilt. "They haven't gotten to Seymour and the others yet, and he never said whoever catches Radcliffe first is the winner."

"Don't do anything reckless!" Joe held his hand out while the other went for the Webley. "You're all out gunned."

But the Raiders ignored his warning, they all started reaching for their knifes and guns. The children ducked, hands started reaching for their own guns. A shootout in an alley was a worse case scenario, too narrow for all of them to fire back with nothing to hide behind.

"Shit, I always knew I would have a last stand in an alleyway." Radcliffe lowered his arms and reached for his Hardballer. "Or at least that's one of the ways I figured I'd go..."

Wayland suddenly gave out a loud bellow, startling everyone in the alley while looping around Joe and charged forward. Fear made the men hesitate, seeing a Super mutant charging was the stuff of nightmares to them. Wayland swung his left arm out at the first man and sent him flying into a wall and knocked him out cold. The second man literally faced a big palm grabbing hold of his face and lifted him up. The Raider's muffled screams filled the alley for a moment before being thrown into the man behind him. Both bodies collapsed to the ground in a heap, putting them both out too. Wayland stood over the last man, who's knees shook to the point of giving out. But Wayland put him down with a hard bop on the head with his curled fist, sending him unconscious to the floor with the rest.

The group stood with slightly gapped open mouths, Wayland turned around to them and smiled with his shoulders shrugged. Playing it off like it was no big deal. "They were going to attack..."

"Uh, right..." Louis coughed into his fist quickly. "Great job, Wayland. That was...very surprising. No one saw it coming."

"If we're done here," Radcliffe spoke to get them back on track. "There's still a lot more of these assholes looking for us."

"You still want to a gun to the back of your head?" Doug asked with another light poke.

An echo of glass shattering and a garbage can being knocked over came from far behind, along with more people talking to themselves. More Raiders were making their way through the alleys and would soon be on their trail.

"We got incoming! Keep moving!" Chloe practically ordered them.

They quickened their pace while stepping over the fallen Raiders, leaving their footprints in the dirt. The wanderers hoped the tracks would throw off anyone looking for Radcliffe and think they were just another group of people on the hunt. More voices started getting closer from all around, each alleyway leading out would have Raiders filling in and waiting. Their footsteps pounded the ground harder in an effort to avoid being cornered from all around.

"This place is a maze! We're going to get cornered!" Victoria said, looking for an exit.

"Radcliffe, where's the next best turn to take?" Joe asked as a fork in the alleyway came into view.

"Take the left! It will lead into the back further!" he replied while pointing.

Everyone took a sharp turn to the left, one at a time to not run over each other. The alley was darker, making it difficult for them to see and having to use the wall as a guide. But a faint light at the opening came into view, growing brighter the closer they got. The light lead out into the opening, it took a few moments for their eyes to adjust from being in the dark for too long.

"Radcliffe, this isn't another alley!" Joe said when his eyes cleared.

"Oh...shit. We were supposed to go right..." Radcliffe's face twisted in embarrassment upon remembering the correct way.

"Excuse me, but we have bigger problems right now!" Asimov pointed ahead.

The Assaultron turned their attention to a large horde of Raiders. Dozens of eyes looked to the wanderers, their focus soon landed on Radcliffe and the children standing near him. Low chuckles and crooked grins became apart of the many eyes hungry for the big bounty on Radcliffe's head. Several people took a few steps forward as the wanderers stepped back, more and more started stepping forward as they stepped back again. The Raiders wanted them to run, it was fun to catch their victims that way. Just like they do all the time in the Wasteland with their victims.

"Run. Run right now!" Radcliffe shouted as he picked up the boy and threw the child over his shoulder.

Louis caught on to what Radcliffe was doing and did the same with the dark skin girl and whistled for Cavall to follow. Doug picked up the blonde girl as Inez came and took the baby from her arms. The wanderers left a small cloud of dust from where they stood, their backs turned to the charging mob closing in. None of the Raiders used their guns at the moment, Seymour's warnings are always dead serious. Onlookers that didn't want to be involved stood out of the way, allowing them to run past. The Raiders moved like a stampede, knocking over a few stands and trampling over anyone who couldn't get out of the way

. An entrance came up, held up by metal poles and supports and looked a little weak from age.

"We got to lose these people!" Louis shouted as they closed in on the opening.

"Oh, sure, maybe the opening will close for us!" Doug snapped a little too harshly then intended.

Chloe suddenly beamed with a bright idea. "Maybe it will!" she reached for her holster and drew the plasma pistol.

The merc took aim while running. She fired two shots to the right, three to the left, two more to the lower right, two to the lower left, and five towards the top. The sudden shots confused the group as they went through the opening, but then they spotted the boiling hot plasma melting the metal supports. A few moments later the ceiling fell apart, bringing down everything above and creating a rip in the thick canopy along with broken cables spewing sparks. The Raiders came to a hard stop in front of the debris, some lunging in to dig out the junk to get through. On the other side, the wanderers stopped for a few moments to catch their breaths, admiring the Synth woman's handiwork.

"Damn, Chloe, nice shots!" Inez complimented as she shushed the baby in her arms.

Chloe smirked and holstered the plasma pistol. "It just came to me. I once did something similar on a mercenary job a few years back to catch the person I was after."

"That won't hold them for long." Radcliffe said while watching the onlookers in case they made a move. "And more will be here any moment."

"Right, keep running." Joe spoke.

Despite blocking off their pursuers, more Raiders were seen coming from another path and shot off in an aimless direction once more. Several groups ended up fighting with each other, all of them trying to sabotage the other to get the bounty. Not even realizing their bickering was making them lose their targets. The wanderers came up to another entrance that forked and took a right after remembering Radcliffe's bad direction from earlier.

Moments later neon bright lights shined above, at first they thought it was the Red Light District again. But the neon sings and people not dressed as prostitutes showed it was another section as they came up to the high sign. Gambler's Oasis, the main location for gambling in Paradise's Raid. The area stretched on with countless poker tables, roulette tables, craps tables, arena pens for small animals like radroaches and mole rats as a new form of cockfighting. Rows of slot machines coughed up coins that people could exchange for caps. Every slot machine had different designs and bodies, showing that they came from different casinos across the country. A lot of the gambling equipment came from far and wide, and it attracted just as many people to piss their caps away.

"Dammit, we should have hit this place up last night before getting chased all over the place!" Doug groaned and eyed the poker table not far from them.

"Since when do you care about poker?" Louis asked him.

"Since we need any form of finances we can get." Doug retorted. "Do you know how much we drank last night alone? A couple rounds of poker could have helped."

"Forget the poker game! We gotta keep moving." Chloe said as High Lookers found them, pushing through the crowds.

Radcliffe looked around for a way out, but the casino district was packed to the brim. High Lookers started closing in from all around, the thick crowd slowing them down. But then he noticed several people backing away from a cart, it was a delivery of caps going to the treasury. The caps rested in six small crates with a number written on them to indicate how many were in each one. For once Radcliffe came up with a brilliant idea, he placed the boy down on the floor, finally glad to be down. He charged forward to the delivery cart, shouldering through the crowd until squeezing out and stood in front of the two men transporting the cart.

There was no security with the men at the time, and no one dared thought of stealing from the cap transports. And those who did were swiftly caught and usually never seen again. But Radcliffe knew they were pass the point of no return, so with a bright smile he closed in on the two men who stood in fear of his presence, knowing his reputation well. Radcliffe's boot kicked into the crates and toppled them to the floor, shattering open and spilling out all the caps. Everything went quiet in that area, countless eyes darted to the spilled treasure, which within moments the crowd descended on the pile to grab as much as possible. Even the casino goers knew the High Lookers couldn't round all of them up to retrieve the caps.

"Free caps! Free caps for everyone!" Radcliffe shouted with hands around his mouth to stir up the crowd.

Soon the guards were surrounded by people trying to get to get their hands full. The two men that transferred the cart fought a losing battle, and the guards that were closing in on the wanderers didn't know whether to stop them or the people from taking the caps. It was easy for Radcliffe to rejoin the group since the crowd near the caps only got thicker, a few gamblers even started throwing the caps into the air which only made the crowd more ecstatic.

"If there's one thing you can count on, it's people's greed." Radcliffe said to the group over the clamor of the crowd. "And they'll risk trouble with the higher ups thanks to this commotion."

"Radcliffe, that was a surprisingly good plan." Louis praised him, and then looked at the other gambling stations and came up with an idea. "In fact, let's continue spreading the wealth!"

Louis dashed to a nearby roulette table, filled with stacks of chips and piles of caps. The commotion gave him an opening to kick his leg out and hit the table with his boot. The old wood splintered from the heavy blow, and before long the middle section collapsed and spilled everything on it. The dealers of the roulette table didn't notice him until it was too late, they were busy trying to stop people from stealing the caps from the crates. And now more caps laid on the floor for people to take.

Wayland joined in and went towards a row of slot machines. His fist slammed against the side of the first slot machine. Its wooden side shattered with ease under his strength and tilted to the left and bumped into the one beside it. After that the row of slot machines fell over like dominos and spilled coins out of the trays and added on to the chaos. The people at the slot machines started gathering the coins, thinking they could actually fool the clerks at the exchange counters.

Fights broke out all across the casino strip, Raiders and travelers battled for any cap they could get their hands on. Even if the caps didn't come from the transport. The guards stood overwhelmed, trying desperately to round up as many thieves as they could while fighting those who fought back.

"Now's our chance!" Radcliffe shouted while picking the boy up again, much to his dismay.

They fled at full speed, knocking past anyone that got in their way and stayed close to not get separated as the guards lost them quickly. It took over ten minutes to reach the exit, they bought more time by knocking over almost every gambling table they came across to help with the chaos. After that they sharply turned out into the open, still not sure if they were outside one of the factory buildings thanks to all the covering.

The wanderers were in the clear for now, but now they stood in the open with walkways hanging high above. The very domain of the High Lookers who watched over all. Slowing down to a light jog, the wanderers kept one eye up and another down.

"How much longer until we're out of here?!" Joe asked with a slight wheeze. He truly considered throwing his pack of cigarettes away.

Radcliffe looked around for familiar directions, which was hard for him to recall. "Uh...I'm not sure. Is it bad if I was drunk most of the time while gambling?..."

"Yes!" everyone unanimously replied.

Inez scoffed harshly. "No wonder you're in debt..."

A sudden bang, followed by a hole popping up on the ground in front them caused the group to stop. Just as they feared, a number of High Lookers started filling the catwalks above, all armed with guns pointing their way. People started taking cover after the first gunshot, including the wanderers. Luckily there was enough junk laying around for them to take cover, including metal shells of old cars and small stands. The High Lookers started firing off rounds in controlled bursts to force them out. Reports of strange people with Radcliffe and the kids already reached most guard stations, so they knew who to look out for and corner into a trap.

The wanderers broke off into several small groups to avoid the scattered shots. Pinned down by enemy fire, it was what the guards needed to buy time until more arrived to round up the group. A tactic Radcliffe knew about.

"They're stalling us!" he shouted as a few shots struck near his cover. "More will come around to get us!"

"Yeah, we picked up on that too!" Doug shouted with sarcasm.

"They have clear shots as long as they're on those catwalks!" Victoria said as several more rounds hit near her hiding spot.

Chloe watched as panicking onlookers tried to find their own places to hide, bullets narrowly missing them. "Do they even care if they hit someone they're not targeting?!"

Joe saw a man fall to the ground, a fresh bullet lodged into his upper arm. "I'm guessing no..."

Asimov looked back at catwalks to map the guard's positions. "The only way we're getting through is by getting rid of them."

"Oh, real brilliant, robot!" Radcliffe spoke with complete sarcasm. "And just how do you suppose we do that?! You gonna charge out and fight them?!"

Asimov sharply turned his head to him, the visor on his face slid up and revealed the charging laser cannon. The powerful hum grew more intense as the laser beam reached its max power. Radcliffe crawled back in fear, thinking he was the Assaultron's target and didn't have anywhere to go from his hiding spot.

"Hey, come on! I'm kidding!" Radcliffe futilely raised his hands.

Asimov finished charging and stood up sharply, satisfied he gave Radcliffe a scare. The Assaultron spun around and faced the gunfire with his arms crossed for added protection. Asimov focused in on the catwalks and unleashed the full power of his beam. The red laser shot straight up at an angle and startled the High Lookers, yet he didn't hit any of them. Instead his target was the very platforms they stood on, almost a dozen crisscrossing as the laser started cutting through at the very back.

One after the other the beam cut through the old metal like a hot knife through butter as the old proverb would say. He sliced the catwalks right at the middle, slowly tilting his head upward to the sky. The High Lookers fell back to earth with screams, even though the fall wasn't high enough to kill them, none of them would be a threat from that point on. Crashing back on the ground either left them with broken bones or simply knocked out as the catwalks dangled above. Asimov's beam not only cut through the platforms, it also cut a long slit in the ceiling that slowly widen from the melted supports dripping hot metal slag.

The last of the beam's energy trail faded away and Asimov's visor slid shut. Everyone got up from their hiding spots and surveyed the damage Asimov created. Fallen bodies laid sprawled on the ground with scattered moans of pain.

"Wow, I knew lasers could get really hot," Louis looked at the catwalks as the cuts began to cool. "But to melt steel so quickly is another thing."

"I can overclock the power drain from the fusion core of my weapons." Asimov said as he made sure the fallen guards stayed down. "But in doing so I have expended ten percent of my core's power in one attack."

"It's a last resort." Inez stepped up to him. "Another one of my father's unique designs. But anything past five percent renders the head laser useless for a time because the parts are overheated."

"Yeah, yeah, that's all well and good..." Radcliffe spoke, not really paying attention. He kneeled down in front of an unconscious guard and looked at his gear over. "Here we go! This might be the thing we need!" he held up to them a cylinder shaped grenade. A smoke grenade to be precise. "These assholes carry a ton of these to break up riots."

"How often does that happen?" Victoria asked.

"Not often, I've only seen one small riot a few years back." Radcliffe started gathering more smoke grenades. "Truth be told the guards don't see much action these days."

"So in other words, they're out of shape when it comes to handling trouble." Chloe mused to herself. "They did seem to have a hard time with the riot in the casino."

"And I think I've already come up with a plan." Louis kneeled in front of another fallen guard and undid the belt of smoke grenades hanging from his waist. "We're gonna make a literal smokescreen to get out."

"Sounds good. Guys, gather as much as you can carry." Joe said as he took a belt. The guard started to stir awake, but a quick punch to the side of his head put the man back down.

The wanderers each had a belt of smoke grenades hanging over their shoulders, and not a moment to spare considering a new group of Raiders coming after them. Joe was the first to use one of his smoke grenades and threw it as far as he could. A cloud of smoke exploded and provided them cover to flee the scene.

()()()()()()()()()()

Seymour stared at the countless monitors, changing the feeds every few seconds. His patience wore thin as his anger grew more from the wait. A section was blocked off, the casino was rioting and spreading, and a number of Raiders had started harassing shops, claiming they were tipped off about Radcliffe hiding in one of them.

"I gave these fucking Raiders one simple task!" his fist slammed on the terminal keyboard, breaking several keys. "And they just tear this place up! I swear, after this we will never do another Wanted Hunt!"

A familiar Itinerary Man stood near him, the very same one the wanderers talked to just the other day. "It seems they've grown too lax from not having much to do. Perhaps Paradise's Raid has become too well run."

Seymour turned sharply to him, not in the mood for snide observations. "What are you doing here anyway?!" he snapped.

"Apologizes, sir, you asked for an Itinerary Man sometime ago," he answered, hiding his hint of fear. "But I suppose you forgot while searching for Radcliffe."

"No, I just have more important things to do at the moment!" Seymour looked back to the monitors, eyes glued to the screens.

One of the men at the terminals suddenly spoke. "Sir! I found Radcliffe! He's in section ten near the fourth factory!"

Seymour dashed towards the screen and shoved the man aside. He would have fallen off if his chair wasn't on wheels. The headmaster observed the monitor and saw Radcliffe clear as day, and the footage was very recent. But his eyes suddenly went wide when he saw several unknown people with him, and even helping him.

"Who the fuck are these people?! Radcliffe doesn't have any friends here!"

"Wait, I know these people!" the Itinerary Man pointed to the screen with surprise. "They arrived just yesterday. They're newcomers, I gave them a brief explanation of what goes on here and even a quick history of Paradise's Raid. They certainly are a strange group."

Seymour's fist curled again, it was just another problem to deal with. "I don't give a damn who they are. If they're helping that rat bastard, then they're enemies too!" he looked back to the man holding his thick clipboard. "I want you to inform the others, update them about these people and capture them too! Lock down all the exits, triple the guards and anyone who wants to volunteer. We're ending this now!"

"Right away, sir." the Itinerary Man quickly turned away before Seymour came up with anything else to shout.

Seymour started taking control of the video feeds, controlling the terminal in front of him. He brought up a file that marked the camera layouts to better follow the Raider's position. "There's nowhere to go, Radcliffe. All the exits will be locked down. Just you wait..."

()()()()()()()()()()()()()

At first the smoke grenades really helped the wanderers out. Every time a few guards or Raiders came their way, a grenade would be tossed and give them the precious few moments needed to get ahead. And knocking over a stand or throwing something in the way helped too. But their grenades were already running out and their path only became more crowded. Another smokescreen allowed them to turn off into another alley before anyone could see them.

Their legs ached, sweat dripped from their brows and stood winded. A few Raider groups ran past the alley, missing them in the shadows. In fact, the amount of guards became more thick in the area, almost as if they knew their location.

"Is it me, or are there a lot more of these High Lookers and Raiders around?" Louis asked after finally getting his breath back.

"I spotted a number of security cameras as we ran." Asimov began to say.

"And unlike us, you can't get tired..." Doug said with a bitter frown.

"And I suspect we're being watched. Our position might be already compromised."

Radcliffe let the boy down for now, carrying the child over his shoulder started to make it stiff. "Then we're too late. Seymour and the other headmasters will have the exits locked by now. We'll be facing a small army of guards and Raiders, and they'll be armed."

"What about slipping out by making our own exit?" Victoria reminded them. "Or are we changing that plan now?"

A thought came to Radcliffe, it turned out Victoria was right about a change of plans to their exit. "I think you might be onto something, fire head..."

"Don't ever call me that again..." she shot him a terrifying glance.

"Just here me out." Radcliffe walked to the center for all of them to hear. "A year or so ago I was drinking in a small bar at the very back-"

"Something tells me this is how a lot of your stories start out..." Joe interrupted for a moment.

"I was in the back as some off duty Itinerary Men came in." Radcliffe continued while quickly flipping Joe off. "They sat at the bar and after awhile started getting a little drunk. And that's when I overheard something very interesting."

"Well, don't keep us in suspense. Time is short!" Chloe cut in impatiently.

"Fine! I overheard them talking about a secret exit! One that only the headmasters and a number of Itinerary people know about!" the Raider cursed under his breath for a moment. "They bitched for almost an hour about remapping the secret exit entrances. And ever since then I kept it to myself, I even waited until they left. I felt it was the kind of thing that would get someone killed. And believe me, people have been killed here for less."

"So in other words, we abduct some random Itinerary guy and make him tell us where the secret exit is?" Inez felt the plan seemed way too simple to work. "After all we've been through, you think it will be that easy?"

"To be honest, I think it's a good idea." Louis said with a hopeful smile. "It's pure chaos out there at the moment. All we have to do is stir it up a little more." he jangled the belt of smoke grenades in front of them. "We just have to look for an unsuspecting victim and take him."

Once again Doug knew there was no point in arguing. And deep down he felt it was the best course of action. "Alright, I just want to get the hell out of here. What's the plan?"

As if waiting for someone to ask, Radcliffe kneeled down and started drawing in the dirt with his fingers. "Since we're in the last factory, I know the exit is nearby. If we backtrack through the alleys, we'll come across it in awhile. And I know they'll be crammed in their like sardines. Which reminds me of a time when I ate some bad sardines from a dented can and had the runs for days!"

"Back on track..." Wayland spoke harshly.

"Right! Anyway, they'll be tons of guards and Raiders waiting there. And Itinerary Men give orders to the guards. So we'll have our pickings." he continued drawing out the area to the best of his abilities to give them an idea of where they were going.

"Then let's do it." Chloe said as she threw her combat helmet on. "And we'll need to come up with a plan of attack. We won't take any of them without a fight."

"We'll talk on the way." Joe slung his hunting rifle over his shoulder. "Time to move."

The wanderers moved back into the alleys once more, this time with a surprise attack formulating. Twenty minutes passed with no sign of them, which only served to stir up anyone looking for them even more as their patience wore thin. At the junction point where the exit to the outside was more than a few hundred feet away, several dozen High Lookers and Raiders stood waiting and pacing around for any signs of their presence. The people who didn't want to get involved stayed out of it and retreated to the many indulgences of Paradise's Raid until it was all over. And people who wanted to come in were held up at the entrance and growing agitated from the long wait.

Unknown to them all, the wanderers were already there and watching. They took the time to plan a course of attack, just out of sight and split off into several groups. A lone Raider stood near an alley entrance on guard, but only half interested as he turned his back to the opening. Louis' Desert Eagle emerged from the shadows and struck the man upside the head with the bottom of the handle. The Raider went limp and fell backwards into the arms of Louis and Doug and dragged into the alley before anyone could see him. Once the Raider was tossed aside like trash, the two looked out to the crowd.

"I'm having second thoughts about this plan, Louis." Doug said while counting as many heads as he could see. "There's just way too many."

"It's a lot more then expected, yes." Louis nodded in agreement. "But that won't matter once the distraction kicks off." he began looking for a nearby Itinerary person.

Around fourteen of them stood out from the crowd, easy to find because of their clipboards and sharp suits. Louis knew he needed to hurry, any moment now the distraction plan they made will start. Then as if out of the blue, the Vault dweller found someone very familiar to them and smiled.

"Hey, Doug, you're never gonna believe who's here." he tapped his shoulder for attention and pointed in the direction.

"Who the hell can we possibly know-" Doug stopped himself when he saw the Itinerary Man from yesterday, standing in the opening and giving orders to everyone that passed him. "That guy? You can't be serious."

"I am, we just found our target." Louis turned his attention to another alley from far across. "And just in time, too."

In the alley from across, Wayland placed down an oil barrel and stuffed a few more wads of paper and splintered wood into it. Joe came up and dumped a half empty bottle of vodka they found in for fuel. He then took out his zippo lighter and started flicking the striker to get a flame burning.

"Dammit. Come on..." he grumbled as the lighter flickered.

"You really do need to slow down on the smoking..." Wayland commented.

"Lecture me later..." Joe finally got a flame burning. "About time." he grabbed a wad of paper and looked up to the few catwalks hanging above. "Won't be much longer now."

Radcliffe lead Asimov and Chloe to the stairwell that went up to the catwalks after the Assaultron knocked out the guards at the bottom. All three of them carried the remaining smoke grenades on belts. Twenty-four in all, enough to lay down a thick smokescreen to blind them. They kneeled down, hiding in the shadows and watching the High Lookers mulling around.

"How much longer until we do this?" Radcliffe checked the belt he carried, the plan they came up with made him nervous. A small army of people just below wanting his head. "They'll spot us sooner or later."

"Just wait for the signal. That's when we'll begin." Asimov said, monotone as ever.

Victoria inched herself through another alley opening, staying in just enough to peer out. She drew her .223 and took a deep breath, wondering why she volunteered for this part of the plan. She gripped the handle with both hands and raised the gun up. Five quick shots rang out, echoing throughout the junction before she retreated back to the shadows.

The five shots did as expected, the loud bangs threw everyone at the junction into a frenzy. Raiders began running around, looking for where the shots came from while the guards tried to keep the people calm. Asimov's audio receivers picked up the gunshots and got into position by getting down like a runner at the starting line. With a whir of hydraulics in his limps, the Assaultron dashed straight forward.

Before they could even react to the clanking footsteps, the handful of High Lookers patrolling the catwalk went stumbling over the rails. Asimov swung his arms outward with precision, hitting them hard on the backs and sides. None of them could even turn in time to fight back thanks to the narrow catwalk.

The half dozen High lookers landed into the crowd of people below, adding on to the confusion. Wayland and Joe saw the men fall from above, the fire in the oil barrel burning as the Super Mutant lifted it with ease. He emerged from the alley and tossed it with ease through the air, aiming for a pile of construction items like lumber and tarps. The area was currently under construction before locking down. The flaming barrel fell onto the materials and spilled all the burning paper and wood. A fire quickly began to spread, forcing the guards to try and put it out with other tarps and looking for fire extinguishers.

The three up above then did their part by pulling out the smoke grenade rings and threw the belts over the railings as the smoke started to sputter out before landing on the ground and finally let it all out.

Smoke choked the air while the fire almost reached the shop stands and other structures holding the place together. Once the area was in enough disarray, Louis and Doug finally did their part and sprang into action. The lone Itinerary Man from yesterday covered his mouth with a handkerchief, trying to find his way through the smoke and still holding the thick clipboard with his other hand as if it was a lifeline.

A strong arm suddenly wrapped around his neck and held tight. He could barely make a gaging noise as another set of hands grabbed his legs to prevent any struggling or kicking. He was hoisted off the ground and carried away while trying to fight back with his arms, but the one holding him by the neck squeezed tighter as a form of warning.

Soon he saw the dimly lit alleyway, at least relieved he could breath again for the most part. At first he saw Doug, remembering the young man from yesterday. And it didn't take any thought at all to know the Vault dweller was the one manhandling him by the neck.

()()()()()()()()()

Inez stayed behind with Cavall to watch the kids, the young mechanic slowly rocking the baby in her arms. She found it strange that the baby hadn't fussed or cried much since the children came into their care, which lead her to believe the baby was very malnourished. Simply too weak to do things that a baby normally does, which the kids alone proved with their scrawny bodies.

"We have got to get you guys to someone who can take care of you all." she said to herself while watching the children play with Cavall. The large dog had a long piece of wood in his mouth and played with boy pulling the other end. "No child should live like this."

Footsteps echoed down the alley from across, Inez held the baby in one arm and reached for the Beretta at her side. But her hand moved away once Louis and Doug came in with a man in tow. Inez sighed in relief as the two dragged the struggling man towards a wall and thrust him against it. Louis pulled out the Desert Eagle and pointed at the Itinerary Man's head.

"You so much as yell and your brains become a stain on that wall behind you!" Louis warned as he pushed the end of the barrel into his forehead.

The Itinerary Man slowly exhaled and calmed himself. "Fine. I know when to keep my mouth shut."

Not longer after, Victoria rounded the turn, breathing a little heavily from her quick escape. A minute later Joe and Wayland came from another alley, and finally Asimov, Chloe, and Radcliffe joined up a few moments later. The plan had work, even better than expected. And they all recognized the Itinerary Man right away and some couldn't help but chuckle a little upon seeing their unlucky victim.

"Wow, it's a small world after all." Joe commented as they gathered around, all of them with dead serious looks.

Louis moved the end of the gun from the man's head and placed it just under his chin. "Alright, we're gonna cut the bullshit. That means cut to the chase and tell us where the hidden exit is!"

The Itinerary Man's brows twitched, a shiver ran down the back of his neck. "I don't have a clue on what you're talking about."

Radcliffe tried his turn. "Quit lying! I remember overhearing a few other Itinerary Men awhile back! They talked about a secret exit that only the headmasters and a select few know about! So spill it..." he reached back and unsheathed his ripper. "Before your guts spill."

The Itinerary Man looked down at the gun, then back up to them. Knowing they would never let him go until they got what they wanted. But then he remembered something that he knew about the exits and forced back a creeping smile. "Alright, no point in denying it. You guys are right, there are secret exits throughout Paradise's Raid. And there happens to be one not too far from here. I know because I'm one of the top Itinerary people around, a title which I've rightful earned."

"Wow, do they offer dental and paid vacations?" Joe snorted sarcastically.

Louis grabbed his collar and pulled him away from the wall. "Then start leading, Itinerary Man." he gave a quick jab to the back between the shoulder blades. "And if you run or call for help, I'll put you down where you stand."

"Oh, believe me, I don't make foolish mistakes." once he faced away from them, a big grin finally came across his face. "And there's no need to call me by that. My name is Nelson."

"Wow, so don't care..." Radcliffe said while shoving his shoulder hard.

Forty minutes of wandering into the deepest recesses of Paradise's Raid brought them to a dead end. Wherever they stood, they could at least tell it was somewhere inside the fourth factory ground floor at the very far back that was cut off from all public access. The twists and turns started to grind on their nerves until the man named Nelson stopped them in front of a corner.

"Why did you stop?" Victoria demanded.

"We're here." Nelson answered with a forward smile. "The wall in front of us is the hidden passage."

Chloe looked towards the gray and cracked concrete. "Not what I was expecting. Are you leading us on?"

Nelson slowly turned his head. "If I may? I have to open it."

Louis gestured to the wall with his gun. "Do it."

Nelson slowly approached the wall and looked it over for a few moments. His hand touching the cracked concrete, almost giving the impression that it would shatter like glass. He then kneeled down and touched along the metal baseboard until reaching the corner. He applied a little pressure and a section of the baseboard sunk in, a loud clank followed as he stood up and stepped back. They watched a long section of the wall sink in, never letting their guard down in case it was a trap. Once the wall sunk in enough it slid aside into the inner wall and revealed a metal door with a wheel lock.

Louis lowered his gun, surprise all over his face and everyone else. "Well...I wasn't expecting something like this."

"If you think this is amazing, just wait until we get inside..." Nelson said while stepping back.

Joe frowned deeply, the man seemed too eager to help them along. And he didn't want to let him out of their sights. "You're still coming with us until we're in the clear."

"Like I have a choice, burn bag."

"Watch it!" Doug went over and made him turn around. "Don't get fresh with us."

Louis and Victoria stood in front of the door and began to turn it. The wheel at the center barely moved an inch thanks to age, it took Wayland to turn the wheel until the locks came undone. the Super Mutant pulled the thick heavy door open, a stale smell came out and hit their noses, indicating the door hasn't been open in a long time.

Slowly, they went in one after the other with Louis leading Nelson in first. Once all of them stood inside, Wayland pulled the door close and turned the wheel lock and broke it off for extra measure. They heard the rumble of the wall from outside slide back in place with a heavy thud. More lights flickered on, buzzing and droning from unknown years of not being used. All around was metal floors, walls, and ceiling, Louis couldn't help but chuckle to himself from almost feeling at home.

"Well, looks like you guys are on the home stretch." Nelson said with a crooked smile. "Consider yourselves lucky. You people are the only ones to make it this far."

"Whatever. Start moving." Radcliffe came up in front of him. "If there's any traps, you'd be smart to deactivate them. Or set them off. I don't care which."

"Oh, believe me, I want this over soon, too." Nelson glanced back at the door one more time, knowing he had lead them right into a trap once the door closed behind them.


	30. THE UNDERWORLD OF PARADISE

**CHAPTER 30: THE UNDERWORLD OF PARADISE.**

" _Those who promise us paradise on earth never produced anything but a hell." -Karl Popper._

For a time the only noise came from the buzzing florescent lights and their footsteps on the metal grated floor. Nelson stood front and center as their lead, he never slowed down which showed there was no traps waiting for them. But in truth the Itinerary Man wasn't completely sure and that made him nervous to be in front.

Louis observed the structure of the walls and floor around them. Everything about it didn't match up with the design of the factories above. If anything it was all heavily reinforced and built to take a lot damage, like from nuclear attacks.

"I get the feeling you people didn't build this tunnel." Louis spoke to end the silence. "Nor is it naturally apart of the factories."

"How very observant of you." Nelson grinned mockingly. "You're right, this tunnel isn't part of the factory designs. It was built in complete secret."

"Let me guess, it was a secret government thing, right?..." Joe asked with a scoff.

"Oh, both guesses right on the caps!" Nelson chuckled. "I guess age does come with benefits, even if you've lived for way too long."

"I don't care who or what built it!" Doug cut in. "When are we getting out? What's the exit like?"

"Patience, patience. We'll get their in time." Nelson lowered his arms a little. "Besides, I figured the Vault dweller would be at home in a place like this. Doesn't this remind you of home?"

"Don't compare this place to my Vault." Louis glared at him from behind. "For starters, we don't make kids into slaves and kill babies just because someone paid you guys."

"Wow. Radcliffe really knows how to spill the beans. And he doesn't even look drunk."

"Oh, believe me, I'm gonna get loaded in celebration of escaping this place!" Radcliffe boasted, which earned the groans of the group.

"Try not to pass out in a whore house again!" Nelson snapped at him.

"Hey! We got kids here!" Inez spoke up. The baby in her arms started to stir and fuss from her loud voice.

Before Radcliffe could go over to beat Nelson within an inch of his life, a new opening came up. An entryway with no form of door from what they could see. The other side was dark and foreboding, a perfect place for a hidden trap. Louis slowly walked over while leaving Nelson guarded by the others. He reached his hand out to the right side and felt around on the wall until feeling a large switch. With effort, he pulled the heavy switch down, a burst of sparks showered from where the switch connected to the breaker.

High above, hanging lights flickered on slowly, flooding the new room with a hum. The wanderers moved in and took a few moments to adjust to the blinding lights before observing the room. They stood on an open floor that looked down to another level below. It looked like another factory floor, but any form of equipment or machinery had been stripped away. Leaving only dust, holes in the concrete floor where the machinery once was, discolored spaces against the walls with a layer of dust to go with it. Everything else was just scraps of rusted metal and random pieces of garbage.

Joe squinted to get a better look at the floor. "What the hell is this? Another factory underground?"

"This screams government shadiness." Chloe commented, trying to figure out what the place could have been.

"Quite possibly." Nelson nodded in agreement. "From what I've read in the records, this place was filled with supplies and materials. Or at least it was being stocked before the bombs dropped. It was less then half full before all the supplies stopped coming. I guess this place was once just another supply depot for the ever dwindling resources."

"So I'm guessing the founders of Paradise's Raid used the materials to get it started." Doug looked back down to the floor.

"Pretty much. The town had next to nothing with useable materials to begin with." Nelson turned right on the level. "Hmm, I've given you all another brief history lesson on Paradise's Raid. This is turning out to be a very interesting week for me."

"Considering you guys spend most of your time directing drunks around, I'd imagine it gets very boring here." Joe scoffed.

Cavall spent the time sniffing the floor, following a strange scent in the air. The hybrid suddenly picked up an unpleasant smell, one that his instincts knew well. He suddenly barked once and dashed forward to the next opening far across from them.

"Look, Cavall's after something!" Wayland alerted them, pointing to the big dog.

"After him before he gets lost." Louis said as they all went after him.

Wayland grabbed Nelson by the arm and pulled him along. The Itinerary Man suddenly went pale as they headed in the direction of the dog. If any of them were paying attention to him, they would see he didn't want to go there. But fighting against the Super Mutant's pull was pointless, all he could do was wait for them to discover what secret they kept below.

()()()()()()()()()

A hard push almost broke the door to Seymour's office off its hinges. The headmaster stormed in and went towards his desk and grabbed a glass ashtray and threw it against the wall. Followed by a half empty bottle of rum, a few pens, on old record, a stack of papers, a stapler that broke in half upon impact, a tape dispenser, another half empty bottle, a letter opener to which the tip stuck into the wall, and several more random objects until Seymour tired himself and stood panting in the middle of his office. He ran his hands through his hair, resisting the urge to rip out handfuls.

"This is by far the worst goddamn day of my life!" he seethed and looked at the damage to his office. "Those idiots can't do anything right!"

A knock on the door made Seymour spin around. Christina leaned against the threshold with a blank look on her face. "Redecorating?..."

"Not in the mood, Christina! Just get the hell out already and deal with the gambling district..." Seymour turned away from her.

"I have my people taking care of it." she walked into the room slowly. "But we've learned some interesting new development. One of our alarms went off more than ten minutes ago."

"Alarms are going off all over the place!" Seymour turned back to her. "I really hate it when you try to be suspenseful!"

"Wow, you really are dense. I'm talking about the _special_ alarm..." she annunciated to him. Seymour finally understood what she meant. "Took you long enough. One of the silent alarms has been triggered, number eight to be exact. Somehow those people have found one of our emergency escape tunnels."

A cruel smile came across Seymour's face. "We have them! After everything we finally have them!" he started heading towards the door. "Gather everyone! And get around twenty High Lookers too, we're ending this today!"

Christina crossed her arms and rolled her eyes. "Can't you ask more nicely?..."

"Don't test me, Christina. These people need to be made an example of! So nobody else will ever think to do this again!" he marched down the halls as if on the warpath, even taking a passing guard's handgun to settle the matter with his own hands. "We'll show them! We'll show everyone not to mess with us! This is our paradise, and all vermin must be weeded out!"

()()()()()()()()()()()

Cavall barked a few more times while entering another dark section, the group was forced to stop and wait every time while searching for a switch to turn the lights on. Inez, Asimov, and Joe tailed behind with the children, they had enough of being carried around. The hybrid started slowing down as they came up to another darkened section, allowing Louis to dive in and wrap his arm around Cavall's neck to stop him.

"That's far enough! Slow down, boy!" the Vault dweller said, resting on his knees as Cavall tried to wriggle out of his hold. Louis moved his hand to Cavall's scruff. "You can't run off like that. There's no telling what traps are here."

Cavall whimpered again while looking off into the dark. Doug reached out to the side and found the large switch and flipped it. Like all the others, it shot sparks once the breaker connected to the switch and lit the new section up.

"What the hell is Cavall even looking for?" Doug asked while taking a few steps in.

Cavall barked again, more urgently and finally slipped out of Louis' hold, leaving him with a handful of dull white and brown strands of hair. With several more barks, Cavall reached the rails looking down to the floor below, he climbed to the top with his front paws and barked more for them to come over.

"Calm down, Cavall." Louis said as the two came up to him. "What are you trying-" the sight below made his voice freeze upon seeing what laid below.

Doug also lost his words and felt like hurling at the site they saw. "I can't believe they'd go this far..."

The rest of the group started approaching them, the looks on their face brought worry to everyone. "What's with you two? You're both practically pale in the face." Chloe said while getting closer.

Doug shot his hand out for them to stop. "Keep the kids away! They don't need to see this!"

Inez and Asimov stopped the children from getting closer as everyone else came over, unable to stop their curiosity that compelled them to take a look at what laid below. And just like the other two, their faces loss a shade of color to them.

()()()()()()()()()()

Seymour opened a set of double doors to an off limits room, a location where only a handful of people were allowed in. Already waiting for him was the rest of the headmasters and about fourteen armed High Lookers with assault rifles and SMGs in hand.

"Is this all the guards you could gather?!" Seymour asked disapprovingly.

"Next time you do it then!" Christina retorted, leaning against the wall with crossed arms. "Do we all have to go down there into that dirty hole? Paradise's Raid is still in chaos. That's why I could only get this many guards."

"She has a point..." Leroy held his hand up. "I need to check on the Red Light District."

"I got enough shit to fix up too." Stacy huffed with crossed arms. "You got a real hard on to kill Radcliffe. He's just one asshole Raider. We deal with them all the time."

Seymour grumbled and ran a hand through his hair. "It's not about that! This is about showing people not to fuck with us!" he pointed off behind himself with the gun in hand. "If we let one of them get away with this then all of them might get the same idea! If all those Raiders ban together, we're screwed! Everything that we and the people before us have built will be lost and Paradise's Raid will become just another cesspool in the Wasteland! Either another burnt out building or a hive for these bastards to piss away their meaningless lives!"

"Isn't that what they kinda do already?..." Karl pointed out.

"Yes." Seymour answered with a light shrug. "But at least we control it. Now come on, we're wasting time!"

Horton cleared his flabby throat. "I for one want to see this end. It's not often we get this kind of amusement anyway."

"Then have fun." Stacy walked off with more important things on mind. "Someone has to keep this place running and not chase personal vendettas."

"Same here. I need to check the brothels." Leroy said with a click of his tongue. "Don't need people sneaking out on their payments. Gotta check on my honeys after all this nonsense." he walked off, following Stacy close behind.

Seymour waited until they left the room before looking back to the others. "Well? Anyone else want to stay behind?..."

Christina thought for a moment before speaking. "Am I gonna hear the end of it if I don't?"

Seymour curled his lower lip. "Hmm, probably not."

"Then I guess I'm going."

With that, Seymour headed to the far end of the room. He placed his hand against a square section of the wall that compressed in a few inches. The panel slid up as a heavy thud echoed in the room, the middle section of the wall compressed in several inches before splitting open down the middle and revealed a large elevator lift. The High Lookers went in first, followed by Seymour, Christina, Karl, and Horton standing in front. The elevator doors slid shut and began going down with a light hum, including elevator music, much to Seymour's dismay.

()()()()()()()()()()()

Dead bodies. A floor filled with dead bodies scattered out in a layer, reaching all the way to each corner. And they couldn't even see a single space of floor anywhere. Each body laid in a certain level of decay, some looking years old while others freshly thrown down near where they stood. From what they could see, some bodies showed signs of being beaten or strangled to death while others had bullet holes in the head or chest. And from the looks of their clothes, they were either Raiders or just normal travelers and traders. The air had a stale rotting smell to it, which they began to notice after so long.

"What the hell is all this?!" Joe exclaimed with wide eyes. "There's hundreds of them! I've seen some messed up shit before, but this at least makes it into the top ten!"

"Hundreds. Maybe even thousands." Doug said, grimacing at the site. "There's more than one layer. I can tell."

"Why..." Victoria chocked on her words for a moment. "Why are they not all rotted away?"

"It's this place." Louis observed the room for a moment. "There's not too much fresh oxygen coming in, no elements of any kind. Decomposition is very slow, compared to being out in the Wasteland."

"I can't believe they would go this far just to keep this place running." Chloe stepped back, having seen enough. "This place should burn to the ground!"

Radcliffe's teeth clenched, and before Wayland even noticed it, Nelson was surprisingly pulled from his grip. The Raider dragged the man over to the rails and slammed his lower back against it. "Give me one good reason why I shouldn't throw your ass over this rail!"

Nelson turned his head to the bodies below. "Nothing that comes to mind..."

"What is this even all about?!" Inez demanded fiercely. "Why would anyone have an open mass grave like this?!"

"Because they were troublemakers!" Nelson answered spitefully. "Deadbeats, cutthroats, and just no good idiots that had it coming to them!"

"And just like that, you guys dispose of them like trash?!" Wayland loomed over him, making the man feel incredibly small.

"What do you care, freak?" Nelson responded, unable to hide the fear in his voice. "Don't look at me like this was all my idea! They've been doing this for decades!"

Radcliffe looked down to see if he could identify any of the people at the bottom, which surprisingly didn't take long. "I know some of these groups. A lot of these Raiders were a bunch of small timers that I haven't seen in awhile." he began pointing to the people below. "There's the Green Dices. And the Scar Bears. The Jackslips. There's a whole bunch of these people that disappeared suddenly. They never left Paradise's Raid!"

"And it's not just Raiders." Louis spoke, looking at the bodies before shooting a glare at Nelson. "If I had to guess, the other people are more then just those who couldn't pay their debts. Radcliffe told us you people were hired to get rid of the baby. So why not the competition? Why not certain traders and caravans? If the price is right, you're leaders will get rid of anyone if it benefits them. I'm right, aren't I?"

Nelson's face seemed to sag a little from the Vault dweller's observation. "My, you're very smart. Perhaps a bit too smart."

"So I've been told..."

"Forgive me if I seem heartless. Pun not intended." Asimov said as he walked up. "But this mass grave has nothing to do with us. These people are already dead and nothing will change that. We must keep moving."

"You're right, Asimov." Inez nodded to him. "But we'll make sure others know about this."

A sudden hum echoed in the room, coming from another section straight across from where they stood. Their attention went towards the source of the noise as the lights in that section flicked on by themselves while Nelson smiled in anticipation.

"I'll check it out." Louis said while drawing his colt. Quickly, he went through the opening and towards the hum. It was then that he realized at the end of the room looked like the doors of an elevator. And soon a sudden thud and a ding confirmed what he thought as the doors slid open and revealed the people inside.

"About time..." Seymour said through his teeth before noticing Louis standing from far across. "Well, well, small world after all..."

The Vault dweller didn't bother saying a word and spun around to run, almost tripping over himself while calling to his friends. "Guys! We got a big problem! They found us!" he shouted out while coming to a stop in front of them.

Nelson couldn't hold back his laugh anymore once he heard what the Vault dweller said, earning everyone's piercing eyes. "What? I said congratulations on getting this far. I didn't say anything about actually escaping..."

The Itinerary Man burst with laughter, mocking them all as if they had just lost the battle. Radcliffe quickly socked him straight in the gut to silence his laughter. Nelson fell to his knees moaning while clutching his aching stomach. Once again the children were picked up and held tightly, they could see the guards getting closer with each passing second.

"Which way do we go?" Victoria asked, her bow in one hand and the other reaching for an arrow.

"For one thing," Radcliffe picked up Nelson from the floor. "We don't need his ass anymore! He'll do whatever he can to slow us down!"

Radcliffe grabbed Nelson by the front of his suit and hoisted him up a few inches. With a heavy heave, Nelson went flying over the rails and straight down on the pile of bodies below. He landed hard, breaking a number of bones from the decaying bodies. The wanderers ran after that, leaving Nelson behind as he began to scream his head off from being surrounded in an ocean of the dead.

The High Lookers came out from the threshold, marching in a straight line like soldiers with two staying behind to guard Seymour and the others, and Horton having to take his time. The lights came on by themselves as they entered another open section with a lower floor to the left like the previous room. They figured the headmasters turned on all the systems so they don't stumble around in the dark.

Passing through the opening, they soon realized that the floor below was just like the last room. A layer of dead bodies littered the floor below, thrown unceremoniously like trash. Which made the group wonder just how many dead bodies were hidden away in the rooms of the underground level.

The next room they entered was cut off from the open section, it was now a long and wide hall with doors on both sides. A turn to the right came up and they took it, still far ahead of the guards. But they knew the headmasters most likely knew the place better then them. And as if to prove that point, a dead end stopped them in their tracks. A locked door blocked their path and the corridor didn't have any other doors to go through.

Inez ran up to the door and saw the keypad next to the door. "I can override it!" she said while handing the baby over to Asimov. "Buy me time!"

Louis already had his AN-94 in hands. "We're on it!"

The Vault dweller, Doug, and Wayland poked out from the turn and fired at the incoming guards. Bullets struck all around as the guards quickly took cover in the alined recesses with doors and waited until the three stopped shooting. Radcliffe stepped in next with his LMG and Chloe with her plasma rifle, the five stood ready and waiting for the guards to pop out. But standing in the open left them as easy targets to hit.

"If you guys know what's good for you, you'll stay hidden until we're gone!" Louis warned them.

"Lou, when has that ever worked?" Doug asked as he reloaded his Browning.

"There's always a possibility..." he replied with a whisper.

"I'm perfectly okay with you guys charging forward to get shot!" Radcliffe called to them daringly. "It's been too long since my gun's had a huge swatch of targets to shoot!"

"It's _swath_ , Radcliffe..." Chloe corrected him.

"Radcliffe! You son of a whore!" Seymour yelled from the back. "Don't think any of you are getting out of here alive!"

Louis looked back to Inez, she had just broke open the panel and started pulling wires out. They needed to give her more time. "So from the amount of screaming you're doing, I guess you're one of the people in charge of this place! We actually saw you when we first arrived. Throwing caps around at the crowd."

"That's right, and you'll all learn it when everyone sees your bodies hanging from the entrances!" Seymour poked his head out while shouting. His quickly pulled him back into the recess.

"Wow, this guy's a powder keg about to blow..." Wayland said to them.

"Hit the nail on that head, Wayland." Chloe replied with a nod.

After cutting a few wires, Inez started striking the ends, creating sparks to get the system to override. "Not much longer..." she said to herself.

"So tell me, is this why you were so desperate to capture these kids?" Louis started talking again. "I was wondering why you guys seemed so obsessed to catch a bunch of orphans. But now we see why, you were afraid they might have found this place! Radcliffe told us they hid in the vents! I'm guessing the vents from above eventually lead down here!"

"Quite the detective skills you got there..." Seymour seemed to praise for a moment before his tone changed. "I really hate people that are too smart for their own good."

"Or just people smarter then you..." Christina said to herself.

"Enough of all this talking." Karl growled while drawing his magnum revolver. "Men, fire back!"

A burst of gunfire and plasma reminded the guards of their positions before they could even make a single move. The hall fell silent again as the tense stand off continued.

"Again, we got you guys pinned. So stay there!" Louis warned once more.

Inez held two tips of wires together with one hand, sparks dancing between the ends as she brought another end to the two. Sparks burst from the wires and the door panel overrode with a few beeps as the door slid open but got stuck on the last few inches. She turned around and waved to everyone while taking the baby back into her arm.

"We're clear." Victoria whispered loudly.

Louis nodded in confirmation as Victoria, Joe, Asimov, Cavall, and Inez went through the door with the kids. "Time to go!" he said as they started backing up.

The hall echoed with another barrage of bullets and plasma to keep the guards in place until Radcliffe stood as the last to go into the turn with everyone else. Once the gunfire stopped, the guards lunged out from the recesses and chased after the group with Karl in the lead.

Not long after everyone passed through the doorway, Horton finally reached the location that was once a standoff only moments ago. The overweight man pulled out a handkerchief and wiped the sweat from all over his face. "Why...why are we still doing...this?" he wheezed breathlessly, looking at the bullet holes and burning plasma. "Should have brought some Golden Creams with me..." he put his handkerchief away and continued while muttering all the way.

The endless corridors stretched on before them with scattered shots flying their way. They could hear Karl barking orders and shooting blindly with his revolver. They came to a stop every few meters and fired back, forcing them to hide in the hall recesses and give the wanderers some more space. The opposing groups continued the firefight for a long time, empty casings and shells littering the floor at their feet. Another turn in the hall came up, giving another opportunity to get further ahead. The ones with automatic guns fired away until their magazines ran out and started running again before the guards came around. A new opening rested at the end of the hall, and from what they could see, it seemed to be an actual room or station.

Once everyone went in, Louis and Doug slid the thick door shut just as several bullets hit it. Louis then quickly flipped the lock shut, glad that it had a secondary manual lock that couldn't be accessed on the outside.

"Okay, I think we're safe..." Louis said before heavy banging struck against the outside of the door. "For now..."

The group took the time to catch their breaths and look around. From what they could tell, the room looked like a control center. Dusty terminals and walls lined with large computer processors stood quiet, which made them wonder why they didn't clear the room out a long time ago.

"Why have they not stopped banging?" Victoria asked, a headache started coming on.

"Persistent, I'll give them that..." Joe scoffed.

"Guys, we can't keep running around in circles." Doug looked back to the door. "Sooner or later they will find a way in."

"Well, they're still knocking, so that must mean it's a long way around to the other side of this room." Wayland said to them.

Louis wiped the dust off the screen of a terminal with his gloved hand. After that he ran around flipping switches and pressing buttons to turn everything back on. Soon the screens scrolled data and the reels began to spin and process information. "Doug's right. We can't keep running in circles. I'm gonna check the terminal data to see if there's a map on this place."

"Sure you can hack this stuff?" Joe asked as the Vault dweller pulled up a chair and sat down in front of the nearest screen. "It all seems very old and top secret military junk."

"Well, the military and Vault-Tec were pretty much the best of buds from what I've learned." Louis replied as he began typing away. "So...coin toss? I guess. I'll just have to do my best."

"Save the optimism for later..." Joe huffed at him.

"Guys..." Asimov suddenly spoke urgently. "The banging has stopped."

As the Assaultron said, the banging stopped moments ago, making the room eerily quiet. Louis quickened his pace as Doug dashed over to the other door and locked it. After a few quiet minutes, a new noise came to the door, a loud screech of something scraping on the metal floor. Then a few faint clicks came next, followed by a sharp hissing. At the bottom right corner of the door, a glowing red dot began to form, followed by the smell of smoke.

"They got a welding torch!" Inez shouted, backing away from the door as sparks began to spray through.

A heavy knock echoed against the door. "It's only a matter of time now!" Seymour shouted over the cutting torch. "Run if you guys want! Eventually you'll hit dead ends no matter where you go! You're all trapped!"

"Not unless I have anything to say about it." Louis replied as if he was talking to him. He brought up the system data, searching for information on the layout of the underground base. "We'll see who's trapped in here..."

The burn cut began to move slowly upward while the group spread out and pointed their guns at the door. Despite standing ready for the coming attack, they knew it still left them open and nothing in the room provided much protection. And being outnumbered didn't help if the guards poured in, resulting in massive casualties on both sides. Inez guided the kids behind a lone terminal section with Cavall to keep them safe in case the room turned into a showdown.

Louis realized finding any information was going to be harder than he anticipated. "It figures. If you don't take care of your electronics for over two hundred years...everything starts to break down and corrupt!" the screen data flickered and went static again as he typed in a new command. He huffed to himself before an idea came to mind and unreeled the cable from his Pip-Boy and plugged it into a nearby port for an added boost of processing power.

The welding cut reached near the top of the door and started moving to the left. Several more minutes passed as the cut reached about halfway down the other end of the door. Louis finally brought up the system layout thanks to the processing boost. He couldn't help but smile despite the impending danger as the guards on the other side began to bang on the door in hopes of breaking it down. At last the map came on the screen and he started scrolling around for a few moments to learn about the quickest route out from where they were now. He finally found the exit after mapping out the many twists and turns of the halls and rooms, a long escape tunnel highlighted showing that it was indeed the exit.

"Hey, Radcliffe, can you come over here for a second?" Louis called to him.

He frowned in confusion and lowered his LMG and walked over after hearing his call. "Uh, what's up? Please tell me you found a way out."

"Well, the good news is I have. But that left me thinking about the asshole in charge." he looked up from the screen. "How far do you think he'll go to pursue us? He seems insanely obsessed with getting anyone who looks at him the wrong way."

"Oh-ho, you have no _idea_." Radcliffe chuckled deeply. "Why do you ask?"

"I've been thinking we need some leverage against them. Even if we kept that Nelson guy as a hostage, I doubt they would care if he was a casualty."

For once Radcliffe seemed to be following what he was planning. "So...if you're saying what I think you're saying...we need a better hostage until we get away."

Louis smiled proudly. "Now you get it. And I might have another plan that could help us too..."

He set his Pip-Boy to download the map and display it on screen. He gave the all clear for them to go and picked the children up and carried them once more for hopefully the last time as the door was moments away from giving out. The guards on the other side hammered the door with the butts of their rifles to bend it inward. But the wanderers already fled the control room with Louis in the lead just as the huge slab of reinforced metal fell in and hit the floor.

Louis kept checking his Pip-Boy every few seconds, the marker on the map moved thanks to its tracking software to keep them on the right path. Despite the twists and turns of the repetitive halls laid before them again, it only took fifteen minutes to reach the end of the map. The final hurtle came before them as they funneled out into the last open room with scattered metal crates and a big double sliding door on the other side. Louis and Radcliffe stepped aside from the group and messed around in the Vault dweller's backpack for a few minutes looking for something.

Once the children were placed back down, Inez ran over to the control panel and went to work on it. Asimov and Wayland quickly moved and stacked a line of crates to give them a small wall of protection. In moments, Seymour and his guards filed out into the room and faced a row of guns pointing their way.

"Sorry, but we made it to the finish line first!" Doug shouted with his Winchester pointing straight ahead.

Seymour scoffed deeply and stood behind his guards. "More like tripped at the finish line! If you even try to open that door, we'll mow you all down!"

Louis fiddled with the settings on his Pip-Boy for a moment and got in position with the others behind the crates. "Hey! Since we might not get another chance, I must ask...what the _fuck_ is your deal?!" his question put all the attention in the room on him. "Are guys that desperate to stop anyone that gets you a little upset? And the piles of bodies left to rot in the open? Holding people who are in debt as prisoners? Where does the madness end? You guys are fools to think you can keep this up without something going wrong!"

Karl smirked in disbelief and aimed his revolver towards his position. "What a fool. You don't know a thing! Not one damn thing about the things we've done, what we've _had_ to do...to keep Paradise's Raid alive!"

Christina chimed in next. "Karl might not be the brightest, but he's right about one thing. Our paradise is a shining beacon for travelers to come far and wide. And no empire has been built without making sacrifices, and if we have to work with people like Raiders and such to help us, then so be it. Let their worthless bodies be the mortar of our foundation."

"Exactly, this place has survived for generations because we and the people before us have made the difficult choices." Seymour finally started to get his two cents in. "There's no other place that even compares to us! Thanks to our work, countless caravans have greatly expanded their routes and trade! We're a shining example of the old world, a place for people to look to for inspiration."

"And what about all the dead people?" Louis asked loud and clearly. "Where do they fit in to all of this so called, 'shining example of the old world'? Because it just looks like senseless murder to us!"

"You Vault dwellers really are more naive then from what we've heard." Seymour said, chuckling in his throat. "Most of those people were Raiders and nobodies. Worthless wastes of flesh that would have ended up dead sooner or later. No business has ever existed without crushing the competition. So what if we have to kill a few people? So what if we help ebb out the competitions for other caravans to draw in more trade for us. If they pay us to make some people disappear, then that's their business. Same thing for other Raider groups wanting to get rid of their rivals! It benefits both ways, a few less Raider clans trying to make it big, and we get even more caps in our coffers! If it makes you feel better it's nothing personal, it's just business." he crossed his arms and looked to the man he despised. "At least most of it isn't personal. Right, Radcliffe?..."

"It's that kind of shortsighted thinking that turned this world into what it is, you dumb assholes!" Joe pointed his combat shotgun towards Seymour. A few of his men pointed their assault rifles towards the Ghoul in response. "Sooner or later the truth of this place will come out!" he stayed unfazed by the line of guns.

"Even if it does, it won't be today!" Karl held the magnum revolver with two hands now. "Because you're all gonna join that pile of bodies! And no one will ever know you were here! Get ready, men!"

Chambers loading in the gun barrels echoed, fingers wrapped around the triggers and slowly beginning to pull. The children ducked low with hands covering their ears and quivered in fear.

Louis turned off a setting on Pip-Boy and looked over to Radcliffe, concern burning in his eyes as he spoke quietly. "It's now or never, I just wish there was a better way to do this without risking your life."

Radcliffe shrugged and started raising his arms up. "Don't be, it's the least I can do after all the shit I've gotten you guys in."

Before anyone could fire off the first shot, Radcliffe stood up and waved his arms out. All the attention now fell onto him, making the room deadly silent once more.

"Whoa, hold on a second! Everyone stop!" he shouted with his arms up, surprised no one took a shot at him. "Let's not have an unnecessary bloodbath here! I surrender!"

"What kind of half-ass thing are you trying to pull, Radcliffe?!" Seymour questioned, gritting his teeth. "After all this you expect me to believe you're giving up? Just like that?!"

Radcliffe shrugged his raised arms indifferently. "I just want this over already! Because for starters, I haven't been this sober for so long."

"So a few hours?..." Karl asked with as little emotion as possible.

Christina held a hand up near her mouth to suppress a laugh. "I know he likes to drink, but that's just sad..."

"Why would we accept your surrender anyway? You guys are in no position to make demands!" Seymour said, aiming his gun towards Radcliffe's head.

"Because I know you want to make me suffer more than anything." Radcliffe slowly rounded his way around the makeshift line of protection they made. "Come on, Seymour, you don't want these people. You want to make a big public spectacle out of me, I know you have a taste for the dramatic. So please, just forget these people and take me." he patted his hands against his padded chest to emphasize his point.

Seymour squinted his eyes and lowered the gun, mulling it over in his head. "You're right about one thing, Radcliffe, I'd much rather kill you with my own hands then filling you with lead. It just won't be as satisfying."

"That's all total bullshit, Radcliffe!" Chloe spoke out. "He'll just kill us once he has you!"

"And even if they do let us go, they'll send people after us." Wayland pointed out.

"That depends on how quick Radcliffe surrenders!" Seymour shouted back. "First, put all your weapons on the ground now, Raider!"

Radcliffe lowered his arms and started doing as told, first taking off his pack bag, then the Hardballer from its holster, followed by the hatchet, the Ripper, and finally his LMG. He handed all his gear off to Louis.

"This is crazy, Radcliffe." Victoria said, trying to stop him. "They'll just kill us no matter what!"

"I'm losing my patients here!..." Seymour warned them.

"Guys...it's okay, I got this." Radcliffe said before looking over to the kids. Their eyes pleading for him not to go, but he just returned a comforting smile. "Don't worry, everything's gonna be alright..." he gave them a wink before turning forward to Seymour and the others and began walking with his arms up.

Doug was about to stand up and stop him, only for Louis to grab the sleeve of his jacket to stop him. "Louis, you know they won't keep their end of the deal. This is suicide for all of us."

Louis stayed in the kneeling position like everyone else, his eyes glued to Radcliffe and a small lump under his vest near the waist. Doug frowned in confusion at it and looked back to Louis, finally realizing the two came up with a plan together. The others soon realized something was up as they saw the small lump as well, along with two thin lines hanging out with the ends fashioned into loops.

Radcliffe's forehead started to sweat, their escape counted on the plan to go off. And the most important part to it was for him to get close enough. Step by step he inched closer, several guns still trained on him in case he tried anything funny. Finally, after what felt like being walked to his execution, Radcliffe stood in front of Seymour. The headmaster smiled and lowered the gun in his hand.

"I must say, I'm impressed you went through with it." he said, almost approvingly of his noble gesture. But soon a snickering laugh escaped from his lips, followed by Christina and Karl. "And even more so, you actually believed we would let your friends go after you surrendered to us!" they all shared a round of laughter at how easily they tricked him.

Yet Radcliffe didn't react to their laughter, if anything, a surprising smile crept up on his face. "Actually...I was hoping you'd do that..."

Seymour and his fellow headmasters went silent upon his words. Radcliffe reached behind his waist and grabbed the two thin lines by the loops and pulled. Four pops were heard as Radcliffe held up the almost transparent wires with four rings tied to the ends as smoke suddenly sprayed out from behind him.

"Looks like I'm blowing smoke out my ass..."

Radcliffe's grin was the last thing they saw before the smoke enveloped them all. Soon coughing rang out at the other end of the room, the wanderers stood lost in the confusion as well, at least everyone but Louis, who now held Radcliffe's LMG up and flipped the safety off.

"I take it this was your idea, Louis?" Doug asked, his usual frown of disapproval. "You know I hate being out of the loop!"

"Sorry, there wasn't enough time to bring you all in." Louis said while standing up to aim at the smoke. "But the long and short of it is, Radcliffe and me decided a better hostage was needed to get out!"

"And the smoke?" Victoria asked, keeping her 12.7mm SMG pointed towards it.

"A distraction to give Radcliffe time to get Seymour." he answered, counting the seconds. "We need to wait until they go down. After that, we open fire. I just don't know when they will both be in the clear, gonna have to use my best guess."

Seymour's free hand covered his mouth and coughed, he couldn't see a single thing before remembering he stood in front of Radcliffe and open to an attack. His eyes were barely able to see him before he lunged forward and tackled, knocking the gun out of his hand as it clattered on the floor. The two then wrestled around, wedged between a few guards as they bumped against their legs. Thanks to Seymour's yelling, Radcliffe soon felt several hands reaching for him, including the sting from one of his long dreadlocks being pulled.

The smoke was starting to dissipate as some guards began to stagger out. Louis figured enough time had passed and aimed the LMG as everyone else followed suit.

"This is it! Give them everything!" he shouted as their trigger fingers pulled.

A wave of bullets, lasers, and plasma flew towards the thick cloud. Screams of pain soon followed as bodies plopped to the floor. Louis shouted for them to hold their shots at chest level to keep Radcliffe out of the line of fire. The Raider soon overpowered Seymour with ease and held onto him tight. With some struggle, Radcliffe rolled them both out of the smoke and towards the group. The shooting came to a stop after a long minute passed, the smoke finally cleared and revealed the result of their attack.

Almost half the guards laid dead on the floor, most of the bullets and energy burns hit them around in the chest areas as planned. Those who survived suffered injuries around their limbs and waists where the armor was weakest, bullets wedged into their vests and left painful bruises under them. Karl sat on his knees, his vest filled with bullets and clutching his right arm that received two bullets in his upper biceps. Christina laid on her side, hands over her head and a bullet graze on her upper left leg.

Radcliffe finally rolled on top of Seymour and grabbed him by the collar and pulled him up sharply to give him a loud cracking headbutt. The sudden pain made Seymour see everything in a winding blur and finally knocked the fight out of him. After that Radcliffe lifted him off the floor as Louis passed him his Hardballer. He pointed it to the side of Seymour's head and faced the recovering guards.

"Alright, I'm sure we don't need to explain this to anyone." Radcliffe began, panting heavily from the lack of fresh air and struggle. "We got one of your bosses as a hostage! Don't follow and he'll live! We'll drop his ass off somewhere close!"

"Radcliffe, you rat bastard!" Karl stood up, blood trickling down his arm and dripping off his finger tips. "Just because you're holding one of us hostage, doesn't mean we're going to stop!"

"Then take your best shot!" Radcliffe dared as he poked Seymour's head with his gun.

"No, hold your damn fire!" Christina said while standing up, covering the wound on her leg. "We need Seymour, all of us run this place together."

During that time, Inez finally got the doors to open after flicking some wires together like before. The doors slid open with a slight screech from untold years of not being used. Without a single word, everyone went into the open door, keeping their guns up in defense. Radcliffe and Louis were the last to go through with the Vault dweller carrying most of Radcliffe's stuff.

"It's like Joe said before," Louis eyed the two headmasters. "Sooner or later...the truth of this place will come out." he quickly pressed the button on the panel on the other side to close the doors. "And that might be sooner then you think..."

The doors closed with a clank, for some reason Louis' words made the two headmasters feel a chill, almost as if the wanderers had found a way to expose all their dark secrets. As the surviving guards checked over the fallen and tended to their wounds, Horton finally reached the long hall, his face covered with streams of sweat and panting for air.

"I...need to...get in shape..." he said to himself before looking at the defeated people before him. "Oh, damn! I missed everything, didn't I?..."

On the other side, everyone stood away from the door while Asimov charged his head laser at a low setting. He fired the laser beam at the top of the doors where the two joined and slowly tilted his head down until finishing at the bottom. The heat welded the doors together, which would require another welding tool to cut it back open.

"That will slow them down for awhile." Asimov spoke as his head laser began cooling. "Good thing my weapon has reactivated long ago."

Radcliffe looked back to the door while picking Seymour up by the arms. "I just can't believe after all these years I'm finally leaving this place." he sighed while hastily throwing Seymour over his shoulder. "I won't lie, I will miss it. The parties, the drinking, the pleasantries, just about anything you could want..."

Louis waited a few moments before clearing his throat. "Sorry to shorten your goodbye, but we need to get going before they start cutting through again."

"Right, screw this place..." the Raider nodded as they all turned and ran at a steady pace.

Like finally reaching the finish line after a long and insane marathon, the wanderers moved down the long hall with pride. The lights above turning on one after the other before reaching the end. A short flight of stairs leading up to a locked hatch that only needed to be turned to open.

()()()

Outside in the open field, more than a mile away from Paradise's Raid, a large rock on the ground suddenly shifted before lifting upwards. Louis pushed the hatch, grunting hard with effort before Wayland lent an arm to help flip the hatch open. One after the other everyone climbed out, thankful to breath in the stale air. Paradise's Raid stood in the distance right behind them, the racket of blaring music still going as the lights still shined bright against the cloudy sky.

"Well, despite all the people that tried to kill us...it was fun." Doug sighed to the place they just escaped. "Really wish we hit up that casino."

"There's always a place to gamble if you know where to look." Radcliffe said as he roughly threw Seymour onto the ground. "And now to take care of business."

Seymour coughed harshly and lifted himself up onto his hands and knees after being awoken from the harsh landing. "Radcliffe! This isn't over! You hea-"

Two rough hands cut off his words, Radcliffe started strangling Seymour, a personal touch to show just how weak he was without his goons watching his back.

"Hey, Seymour, can you do me a favor and die?" he asked with a big grin. "Just do that for me. Thanks."

"Radcliffe, wait a moment!" Louis reached his hand out to stop him. "Don't kill him, not like this!"

"Are you out of your mind?!" he turned his head sharply while still strangling Seymour. "After everything they've done? After how they tried to kill us and all those corpses we saw?! You really expect me to spare this pile of shit in a nice suit?!"

"I know he's an awful man. They all are!" he paused only briefly, knowing he needed to be quick. "But this way...this is straight up murder. And it's not right, killing in defense is one thing, but doing it this way will only make you no better than that man..." he pointed to Seymour, who began to weaken from the lack of air.

Radcliffe sighed quietly and loosened his grip a little, not sure what to do now after what Louis just said.

"If you won't spare him out of revenge, then do it for the kids. Set an example for them, show that violence doesn't have to be the solution for everything."

Those words made him look to the children, who stood close to Inez with all their eyes focused on him. Radcliffe finally realized they didn't need to see a cruel murder right in front of them after all the other horrible things they've been through. His hands finally released Seymour's neck, he quickly inhaled sharply before coughing as his vision started to come back.

Seymour took deep, wheezy breaths, his arms trembled and struggled to keep himself up. "S-so wh-at now? We'll ne-ver stop hunting you..." he slowly forced himself to say despite his aching throat.

Before anyone said anything to shut him up, Radcliffe threw his fist back and socked Seymour in the left eye and knocked him out cold. Seymour fell face first into the dirt, it may have not been the same as killing him, but Radcliffe felt satisfied enough as he grinned his best.

"Damn that felt good." the Raider chuckled and cracked his knuckle.

"If you've had your fun," Doug began to say.

"Always..."

"But we need to get moving. They'll be coming to this location soon."

Chloe took off her combat helmet and let her raven black hair fall out and sighed. "Right, let's get out of this place."

"Got that right. I don't ever want to see this awful place again." Victoria happily agreed.

The wanderers quickly secured their weapons and backpacks before heading out. The on goers of Paradise's Raid continued the search, completely unaware of what just went on below them. They all looked back once more to the booming location that lived up to its name, built upon secret murders and shady deals. Soon the lights faded in the distance like before when they first approach, but now with a few extra people in tow. And the first thing Radcliffe wanted to do after being in Paradise's Raid for the last few years was to find the children a place where they could live their lives freely.


	31. PATH TO REDEMPTION

**CHAPTER 31: PATH TO REDEMPTION.**

" _People find meaning and redemption in the most unusual human connections." -Khaled Hosseini._

It was late at night as the wanderers looked for a place to sleep for the night. Paradise's Raid was now a distant memory to them as they crossed paths with an old town. Their walk proved to be a tad difficult with the children in tow, they had truly never been outside of Paradise's Raid, so every new sight overwhelmed their curiosity. From the cracked streets, power poles with hanging wires, countless forms of trash, and the never ending number of rusted cars all around. But soon they began to tire out and grow hungry after the long and exhausting day like everyone else.

They found an old hardware store that was more intact then any of the other buildings around, the windows and door were boarded up and showed no one was in it for a long time. Radcliffe reached out and grabbed the handle and started to pull it, the wooden planks began to creak and break with ease thanks to its age. The boards snapped and Radcliffe flung the door open.

"I can't remember the last time I've shacked up in an old building." Radcliffe said to them while poking his head inside.

"Must be a huge improvement compared to the ditches you've probably passed out in." Inez spoke to herself, being quiet so no one would hear.

Louis flipped on the Pip-Boy flashlight and scanned the room for any traps or dangerous things. After a few moments he gave the all clear to come in and start their usual routine. They gathered stuff to burn and found a porch fire pit to help get some light. The hardware store had nothing worth salvaging, just mostly empty and covered in a layer of dust. Once the fire started burning they settled in for the night surrounding the fire. Open cans of food roasted on the fire over a grate, along with a small pot pan that Joe used to cook something mushy in it. The wanderers sat either on the floor or on the few chairs they found stored in the back.

"So you had some leftover smoke grenades on you the whole time?" Doug asked Louis from across him as he took a few more bites from his jerky. "It figures you would keep some for a rainy day."

Louis smiled a little and pulled his pack over. "That...and this little thing I took from home as well." he took out a spool of fishing wire and held it up. "I knew we probably wouldn't ever fish, but I figured this wire could have other uses..."

"That's clever of you to come up with." Doug said in response. "What else did you pack from your Vault?"

"Just all kinds of things I thought might be useful." he answered while putting it back.

Victoria watched the Ghoul as he stirred the food in the pot with a wooden spoon. "So, Joe, what are you cooking up there in that pot?" she asked him.

Joe gently stirred the pot while looking to the baby. "A little recipe I heard of, it's kinda like baby food." he took the pot off the rack over the fire to let it cool. "Since the baby is still too young for solid food and no one here is, well, you know. This stuff should be fine without hurting the baby's stomach. It's a mix of insta-mash, water and some of that powdered milk the kids have." he gently blew on the steam to cool it down faster.

The children sat near Cavall, playing with the large canine who just laid quietly on the floor. The blonde girl dug through her small pack and took out an old baster for Joe to use. She handed it over to him and used it to fill the baster more then halfway. Inez came over with the baby in her arms and sat down next to him and gently held the baby out. He moved his hands over, one holding the baster and another holding a cloth before bringing it over the baby's mouth. Drip by drip, Joe slowly fed the baby that ate the food quicker then he could drip.

Louis watched Joe tend to the baby, admiring his fatherly care. "So, Joe, did you...ever have kids or something?" he asked, regretting it instantly. The Ghoul looked over to him, faded eyes practically boring into him. "I'm...sorry, didn't mean to pry..."

"I didn't have any kids before the Great War." Joe answered, surprisingly not showing any anger. "Probably for the best. I'm not father material, at least not anymore for a very long time." he slowed down to let the food settle in the baby's stomach.

Wayland used a set of tongs to take his can off the rack and let it cool for a few minutes before picking it up and swallowing the meat soup in one big gulp. Still feeling hungry, Wayland opened yet another can and placed it over the fire while putting the empty one by the three other empties. Despite eating so much the other night at the Chow Station, the Super Mutant's appetite was still as bottomless as ever after everything that happened during the day.

Chloe watched him as he waited until the can cooked enough for him. "So, big guy, was the Chow Station not enough for your big stomach?" she asked to get a conversation going. The two have yet to sit down and just talk between each other.

Wayland paused for a moment and looked down to his stomach quizzically before turning his head to her. "I ate plenty in Paradise's Raid. I just love eating new food! Didn't have much other than mole rats and radroaches back when I was with the Super Mutants." his hairless brow squinted deeply. "They mostly ate..."

"Humans in gore bags." Chloe finished, her appetite fading from the memory. "I'll never forget the smell of all those rotting bodies stuffed into nets. Do they always eat them raw?..."

Wayland thought back to the helpless victims his former kin captured and butchered. "Most of them liked eating their victims raw. Say it's much more tasty when dripping with blood. Others thought letting the meat rot made it even better. They would feast for hours if they had enough. I stayed away when I could, they always looked at me like an outsider even before you guys came."

Chloe fully lost her appetite and placed the can down on the floor. "And you lived with them for years, I can't imagine what that was like. I hear Super Mutant hierarchy can be brutal, and that leader seemed to despise you very much."

Wayland placed a big hand against his armor covered chest where the Deathclaw scar was. "That...and what I can do when I lose control of myself. And I still don't know how to fully use it, I'm dangerous around everyone when I become radioactive."

"Don't talk like that, you'll get the hang of it somehow. And we'll help you if needed, just make sure everyone's at a safe distance." Chloe gave him a light smile and picked up her half empty can of mushroom soup. "Wanna finish this? I'm full."

The Super Mutant grinned widely and took the can with just two fingers and dumped it all into his mouth, enjoying the new flavor.

Victoria sat next to Louis and had just finished her meal for the night. Like everyone else she felt drained and the muscles in her legs ached from all the running. She watched him fiddle with the settings of his Pip-Boy and checked the recording section. "So...how far off are we from the direction the signal is pointing?" she asked him out of the blue.

Louis stopped messing with his device and looked over to her. "Uh, not too far off. We've traveled at least a few miles from Paradise's Raid, and we should circle around in case Seymour and the others sent people out to find us. But right now I think we should find the kids a better place to live. We can't travel and protect them at the same time."

Victoria glanced over to the kids sitting with Cavall and eating the food they prepared for them. "What do you have in mind? People have a hard enough time getting by while taking care of their own kids. Either way we're in a bit of a snag right now."

"We'll figure something out." Louis said in his usual optimism. "Once we've rested up we'll begin searching in the morning. I don't care how far off the path we need to go to find them a good place to live."

The redhead gave a faint smile to those words. "You truly are a rare sight, willing to put off your mission to help someone."

"I've said it before, I can't turn my back on people in need." the Vault dweller checked the direction on his Pip-Boy again, remaining resolved no matter how far off they ended up going. "And it's _our_ mission, I couldn't have gotten this far in the first place without you guys."

Victoria shifted her position again, bringing her legs closer to her chest. She thought back to the day when he, Doug, and Joe freed her and the other slaves before reuniting with Jeremiah and his group. The thought of the man made her shiver, thankfully no one seemed to notice. "And if it wasn't for you guys, I'd still be a madman's object of his desire. So I guess you can say we're even at this point."

"I never wanted to save you just to be even at some point." Louis looked back to the dying fire and quickly put some pieces of wood in to stoke it. "Helping people is what my-" his voice caught in his throat for a moment, unable to finish that sentence. "Well, anyway, we should get some sleep soon. I'm taking the early morning shift." he yawned and stretched his arms up before taking off his trench coat.

Victoria wanted to ask what he was about to say before changing the subject, but just by looking him in the face she could tell it was probably something he didn't want to talk about. So she decided to leave him be on the subject, feeling it might stir up something unpleasant.

After the baby was full and started to fall asleep, Joe gently wrapped the child in a blanket and placed him in a small crate to sleep. The Ghoul smiled to the sleeping baby, watching him rest peacefully and praying he don't wake up anytime soon.

Inez watched in awe on how caring Joe was to the baby, it was a nice change of pace compared to his usual grumpy self. "For what it's worth, I think you would have made a great papi, Joe..." she said to him.

Joe stiffened to that remark, then sighed before looking back to her. He scratched his leathery chin and grumbled something. "Thanks, but I try not to think about things that will never come to be." the neckless around his neck started to feel heavy again. "And even if I wanted to be a father, the fallout after the war changed me within a few years."

"Did you...have someone when the bombs dropped?" she asked carefully, knowing that bringing up the past was a sensitive subject for Ghouls before the war. "I'm sorry if I'm nosing in your business. It's just that I've always been curious of the past."

Joe slowly smirked while reaching for a smoke in his coat pocket. "Yeah, guess I am a relic. But I'm afraid my memory isn't what it used to be. And the day to day of my life that I remember would bore you anyway." he started flicking his lighter to get it lit.

Inez's hand suddenly reached out and snatched the smoke from his lips before he could even light it. The Ghoul shot her a frustrated grumble as she just smiled. "Smoking around the baby is bad. Please take it somewhere else if you really need one."

Joe grumbled again and stood up while taking his cigarette back. "Asimov, I'm helping you with the first shift of the night watch." he said while walking towards the Assaultron, standing by the window.

"Understood." he replied to him.

Another hour passed and the children laid fast asleep with full bellies. They laid side by side on the floor with a thick blanket for comfort and a lighter one over them. The fire burned dimly in the fire pit, the wanderers were still awake thanks to the hectic day and just sat around to pass the time. Radcliffe sat not too far from the children, his eyes barely leaving as he watched them sleep peacefully in who knows how long.

Radcliffe sighed through his nose and turned back to the embers before him. "You know, I've realized something..." he began to say, growing tired of the dead silence. "After we take care of the kids...I have no idea what I'm gonna do next." a small chuckle rumbled in his throat. "I've lived in Paradise's Raid for several years, barely thinking of tomorrow..."

"You really have nowhere to go?" Louis asked him, wanting to know more about his past Raider group. "I don't think all of us were told about the Raider group you came from..."

"That's right," Doug spoke up. "At the strip club a bunch of guys called you a, uh, Berserker Dragons? If that's a Raider clan, then I've never heard of it."

"Funny you should say that, I think I've heard whispers of them." Chloe pondered to herself, hearing all kinds of stories and info was part of being a traveling mercenary.

"Strange I've never had..." Joe said next. "But I suppose I can't know everything despite how long I've lived."

"That's because there are no more of them." Radcliffe looked down at the smoldering embers that reflected off his dark eyes. "They were all wiped out when I was a kid." he shifted forward in his seat, face full of mixed emotions. Everything from burning anger to quivering fear. "The Berserker Dragons...were some of those most feared Raider groups anyone who heard of them ever knew."

Silence fell on the room once more, it took all of Radcliffe's strength to dredge up all the painful memories he spent years drinking down. But as always the memories manage to resurface no matter what, the only thing different was him telling others a part of his past.

"I don't know where my clan lived, I've never paid attention to whatever states we were in." he finally started speaking again. "But wherever we lived, no one dared cross us. For almost sixty years the Berserker Dragons were unmatched. They would pillage and burn down settlements. Slaughter dangerous mutants for fun or as a rite of passage, capture people and make them fight to the death for survival, only to kill the winner anyway. And those they didn't kill were either sold into slavery, or raped, or used as target practice. And they made other Raider groups pay tribute to them so they wouldn't be wiped out. All in all, they were brutal to say the least."

"They sound like a bunch of Vikings without the longboats..." said Louis, already overwhelmed by what he had just heard. "Must have been a lot of them to be around for so long."

"About a few hundred, yes. We lived in a burnt out town with a wall all around." Radcliffe continued. "And unfortunately that stuff wasn't even half of the fucked up shit they did. As soon as we're able to walk, they begin training us to kill. They start with little animals like radroaches and work our way up to bigger ones. Even kill defenseless people when they got older as a twisted passage into becoming a full member of the clan."

"It's almost impossible to believe a Raider clan can have that kind of tribal mentality and stay together so long." Victoria said with a cringe, she knew very well that some Raiders were on the payroll of slavers.

Anxiety started to creep down Radcliffe's spine, just thinking about his former Raider clan made him feel terrible. "And you guys might not believe it, but I wasn't always the tough badass you see right now. I was skinny and weak, and they all loved giving me shit for it. Even my own folks, those fucking drunk bastards. I was always picked on, beaten up, kicked around and even used me as bait during hunts on several occasions. The worst one was with the yao guai, still have the bite scar around my lower left leg."

"Holy shit..." Doug muttered, there was nothing else he could think to say.

Even Inez started to feel a pang of sympathy for him. "You said your Raider clan was wiped out? If they were that strong and vicious, how did it happen?"

Radcliffe closed his eyes and thought back, starting to feel the skin melting heat from that night. "It was late one night, and I was asleep at the time. I was awoken by the smell of thick smoke. Our entire settlement was up in flames, started by at least half a dozen mercenary squads and rival Raiders that attacked us, at least a few hundred of them. I barely crawled out from those flames with a few burns and only an old pair of long pants." he went silent once more, remembering proved once again to be difficult and made him really crave a drink right now. "They spared no one, not even the kids and babies. I watched the fire die out from the back of an old trailer on the road. I never even went back the next morning, I had no reason to go back and nowhere to go either. So in a way, my clan burning to the ground was only the beginning of my problems."

"You did what you had to do to survive." Wayland said to him, knowing very well what it's like to be looked down on by one's own kin. "It bothers me that some people can't find happiness with those they live with."

Radcliffe reached up to the top of his vest and started undoing it before standing up. "At a certain point we finally become full members of the Berserker Dragons and get a large tattoo of a dragon on our chests." he undid all the straps and zippers and pulled the top off until his upper body was completely exposed and turned around to show his tattoo to them all. Louis had already seen it in the fighting ring, but everyone else couldn't help but admire the amazing and almost lifelike detail to it. "One day in my late teens I decided to get this as a symbol of the clan I hated and wanted to put it behind me." he pulled his long hair away so it wouldn't cover the tattoo. "Or something like that...I was really drunk when I got it, so I might not have been thinking clearly at the time..."

 _But doesn't a tattoo that size take a long time to make?_ Louis thought to himself.

Radcliffe began to put his top back on. "So, yep, that's pretty much the shitty start that lead me up until now. If I keep going I'm gonna run back to Paradise's Raid just for a drink." he finished and sat back down on his seat. "Strange, I haven't told anyone this before, or at least while sober." a deep sigh escaped his lips before suddenly smiling to hide his pain. "But why are we getting sentimental over them? They can all go rot in hell for all I care. Plus, it's one less Raider clan in the Wasteland. And I'm perfectly fine with it..."

"No one said we were getting sentimental." Asimov spoke plainly.

"You said other clans paid tribute to yours so they wouldn't be attacked," Joe spoke stoically. "That means as soon your people went out, the others were free to do what they wanted. No matter how you look at it, that just opened the floodgates for more problems for others."

Radcliffe's eyes turned upward in thought. "Yeah, I think you're right. A lot of people really hated the Berserker Dragons."

"I hear a lot of Raider clans are always fighting each other for territory and resources." Doug said, having only learned these things from word of mouth. "In the last few months since Louis and me headed out I've never seen so many Raiders in one place before."

"You and Louis?" said Radcliffe in a surprised tone. "You guys weren't together this entire time?"

"It's a long story." Louis answered for Doug, not wanting to fill Radcliffe in on the details.

"Well, whatever, that's you guys' business. I'll just tag along until the kids are taken care of..." Radcliffe decided to finally turn in. He stretched and kept his yawn to a minimum to not wake them.

Everyone else soon followed with Joe and Asimov taking the first watch. Sleep came very soon for the wanderers, another day of danger and battle behind them once more. The new agenda on their list now was the safety of the children and give them a better life then the prison they were born into.

March 30/2296

The woke up a bit later then plan, having no sunlight in the area made telling time a bit difficult if it wasn't for Louis' Pip-Boy. Once more they did their morning routine and fed the kids to keep them happy and full for awhile. After that they left and decided to get out of the cloud cover before looking for a new home.

A few hours passed before a beautiful and very missed sight came before them. Sunlight shined down brightly on the land, which seemed like night and day side by side. They happily quickened the pace to feel the warm light on them once more after days of being in the murky dark and then being strained by the many artificial lights of Paradise's Raid. Once they stepped out, their eyes needed to adjust to the beaming light. The children needed even more time since this was truly the first time they have ever seen the actual sun.

Inez placed a hand on the boy and blonde girl's shoulders and squeezed gently to assure them. "Everything's gonna be okay. Think of this day as your new beginning to a better life then what that awful place was."

Doug walked up next to her, cradling the baby in his arms that began to grow tired. "And speaking of new beginnings, who's turn is it to hold the baby? I've had him for over an hour, my arms are killing me."

"Why are you complaining?" Louis asked him. "You got a younger brother and two sisters who were babies before."

Radcliffe held a hand over his eyes to scan the land ahead. "Wow, I can't believe it's been over five years since I've left Paradise's Raid." he said, beaming with pride on taking a big step back into the world. That is until his eyes began to hurt. "Oh, shit. My eyes feel like they're on fire! Like they're burning out of my skull!" he cried while rubbing them hard, tears practically trickling down his cheeks like a stream.

The children laughed joyfully at him, thinking he was playing around even as he fell to his knees.

"Damn, Radcliffe, sure you haven't been in Paradise's Raid all your life?" Joe asked, the only answer he got was Radcliffe rolling onto his side. "Even the kids have already adjusted."

"Shut up! I also wake up hungover all the time!" Radcliffe snapped with a pained moan.

Wayland didn't understand what hungover meant, instead he just joined in with the children's laughter. "You're very funny, Radcliffe! No wonder the kids like you so much!"

Radcliffe's eyes were finally settling to the real light and spoke in annoyance. "Yeah, I'm just a riot. You should see me at drinking games..."

"If you're okay to walk, then let's get going. We're losing daylight." Victoria said to get them back on track. "And considering we haven't been in the sun for days, I want to enjoy it as much as possible."

"Same here." Chloe looked up with a hand shielding her eyes. "It was hard to stay awake under that cloud cover."

Joe checked his gear once again before his eyes looked down to see the dark skin girl holding out her hand. It took him a moment before realizing the girl wanted him to take it. "Oh, I get ya. Alright, I'll hold your hand for a bit." he took it and held gently before speaking to everyone. "Guys, let's make sure the kids stay close to us!"

"I'll watch the boy..." Wayland volunteered with his hand held up. The boy had already taken an interest in him, having never seen a Super Mutant before. He kneeled down and wrapped his massive hands around the boy's thin waist, the tips of his thick fingers almost touched together as he picked him up and placed the cheering boy on his shoulders to ride.

Asimov got on his knees and held his arms out from behind to allow the blonde girl to climb on before standing back up to carry her piggyback style. "I have secured my child."

"You'd make a good nanny bot, Asimov." Radcliffe commented, which earned him a warning glare from the Assaultron. He cleared his throat and took a few steps away. "Right, anyway, I think we should follow this road. If we're lucky a caravan or town might come up in a few hours."

"Sounds like a good start as any." Louis agreed as they began walking forward, Cavall already walking ahead of them and sniffing the ground as he went.

April 2/2296

Three days of searching passed until the wanderers came across a promising caravan group with a number of families. As expected, traveling with four kids proved to drain their food and water faster than anticipated. And Radcliffe had nothing either since he fled Paradise's Raid with nothing but his clothes, weapons, and random junk in his pack. The wanderers were greeted kindly by the caravan and soon found one of the people in charge, a middle aged man with fading brown hair and a short beard. After explaining their situation to the leader about what went on in Paradise's Raid and what they did to escape, they struck a deal with the man.

"Again, sir, I can't thank you enough for doing this." Louis held out his hand to the caravan leader named Dillon. "You're doing a great thing for these kids."

"If half the stuff you told me was true, then it's the least we can do to help after what those children have been thorough." Dillon answered as he took Louis' hand and shook it.

Doug stood next to friend, surprised on how willing the caravan was to take the kids in. "And you really believe our story? Even I would have a hard time believing it."

"Well," Dillon placed his hands at his hips. "At first it seemed too crazy to be true. But at the same time it sounded way too complex to be made up on the spot. But other then that, a lot of caravans in this area have at least heard of Paradise's Raid. And what they say ranges from a great place filled with everything you can dream of...to a place where only the worst of the worst gather." he spoke more sternly at that last part. "So I just had us avoid it and the paths leading to it. Not a great place for families like we have here."

"Yeah, I'm surprised you have so many families in this caravan." Doug took a quick look around the camp. "That's quite a dangerous thing to manage in the Wasteland."

"I won't lie, we've had our scuffles here and there against all kinds of dangerous people and creatures." Dillon pointed to a few of the guards patrolling their territory. "We all work together to keep everyone safe. We're more than a caravan, we're one big family."

"That's great to hear." Louis nodded. "The kids will be brought up right with you all."

"Speaking of which, the Peterson's over there just had another baby a few months ago themselves." Dillon pointed to a husband and wife near their tent with a young girl and a baby cradled in the woman's arms. "She won't mind helping out with the baby you guys brought in too."

"Alright, then it's settled." Doug cracked a smile in relief. "I guess we'll getting everyone back together to leave?"

"Right," Louis said before lifting his arm up and revealed his Pip-Boy. "But before we go, do you guys have any holo-tapes? Specifically a blank one for recording?"

Dillon hummed and stroked his chin. "Well...there's Tammy, she sells a lot of prewar tech, nothing special. Mostly house appliances and office stuff. You're best bet's there."

"Alright then, thank you very much." Louis lowered his arm and started walking in the direction Dillon pointed to. "And if you don't mind, please find someone who has been to Paradise's Raid. I have something to show."

As they walked, Doug waited a few moments before asking what he was up to. "So why do you need a blank holo-tape? Your Pip-Boy already has a recording option."

"I know,but I have something else in mind. Something that will put a big wrench in the workings of Paradise's Raid." he quickly winked as they approached the woman selling the old tech.

The rest of the group preoccupied themselves by browsing the items the caravan people and their Brahmins and carts carried. Most of what they bought was ammo, eatable supplies, and fresh water while Radcliffe watched the kids. The Raider had a sad smile on his face, despite finally finding a nice caravan of people to adopt them, he grew very much attached to them all the same. The feeling of helping someone grew on him more before realizing his promise was coming to an end and that left him wondering what to do next.

"Find anything useful?" Inez asked him from behind. She bought a small box of nails and other items with the intent to make a makeshift bomb if needed.

Radcliffe jolted upon hearing her voice and spun around to face her. "Uh, a few things. Mostly food and some whisky. I still can't believe I left without anything..." a nervous chuckle escaped his throat.

Inez pocketed the nails in her backpack before slinging it over her shoulder. "So, what's next after this?" despite lighting up on him over the past few days, she still never kept her eyes off him. "Where will you go now when we're done?"

For a long moment, Radcliffe finally answered with a shrug. "Not a clue, which I guess sums up my life."

"Well...you made a big leap by escaping your vices and helping complete strangers. So it's not a bad start." she stated as everyone began gathering back together.

The blonde girl rode on Cavall's back, the large hybrid carried her with ease and showed no signs of discomfort to her playfulness. Louis and Doug soon approached as well, both of them showing that they had something to say to everyone.

"What's with the faces, guys?" Victoria asked the two suspiciously.

In response to her question, Louis raised his Pip-Boy up to them all just as Dillon and another younger man came their way.

"Oh, there you all are." Dillon waved to them. "I found someone who's been to Paradise's Raid before. Just like you asked."

The man held his gloved hand out to Louis. "Name's Harvey, and me and a few others made a quick delivery to that place about three years back and spent two days there. I was told you wanted to talk to me?"

"Yes, I have a few questions to ask you." Louis took the hand and shook. "Did you or your friends come across one of the people in charge of the place? Preferably a man named Seymour?"

"What are you up to?" Chloe asked him, seeing the smile on his face get bigger.

Harvey pondered for a moment before answering. "As a matter of fact we did. There was an arm wrestling competition being held in the gambling district. A man named Seymour and a woman in a very fancy dress hosted the event. I couldn't forget them because they really drew in the crowd. And that Seymour man looked a little unhinged, I could see it in his eyes."

"That's an understandability there!" Radcliffe boasted.

"It's _understatement_ , idiot!" Joe scolded.

"Yeah, I hear there's a few of them in charge, all odd in their own way." Harvey continued. "But I suppose the stress of running a place like that can really get to someone. Why you ask anyway?"

Louis placed his fingers on the knobs of the Pip-Boy and started flipping through the settings. "Because we found out something over there. Something that others must know and hopefully shut that place down for good and save some innocent lives as well." he clicked the play icon and put it on speaker for all to hear.

" _And what about all the dead people? Where do they fit in this so called 'shining example of the old world'? Because it just looks like senseless murder to us!"_ Louis' voice came out from the speaker loud and clear enough to distinguish him easily.

"You recorded what happened there!" Wayland stated what everyone was thinking just that moment.

The recording continued. _"You Vault dwellers really are more naive then from what we've heard!"_ Seymour's voice came next. _"Most of those people were Raiders and nobodies. Worthless wastes of flesh that would have ended up dead sooner or later. No business has ever existed without crushing the competition. So what if we have to kill a few people? So what if we help ebb out the competition for other caravans to draw in more trade for us? If they pay us to make some people disappear, then that's their business. Same thing for other Raider groups wanting to get rid of their rivals! It benefits both ways, a few less Raider clans trying to make it big, and we get even more caps in our coffers! If it makes you feel better it's nothing personal, it's just business."_

Louis turned off the recording, figuring he got his point across and just grew tired of hearing Seymour's voice again. "There's a lot more to this recording then just that part. You'll hear confessions from some of the other people that run Paradise's Raid, like a woman named Christina and a very muscular man named Karl." he popped the holo-tape from the slot on his Pip-Boy and held it up. "This is proof of their crimes that people need to hear, and since you caravans come together and trade, you can spread this confession to them too."

Dillon took the holo-tape and held in both his hands. "You know...caravans and other small traders always disappear out here in the Wasteland. Whether from inexperience or just ran into a bout of bad luck. And it's not uncommon for struggling ones to resort to cutthroat tactics to get by. I'm just upset a place called Paradise's Raid would be involved."

"Yeah, that's Seymour's voice alright." Harvey held out his hand to take the holo-tape and examine it himself. "I promise we'll get this message out to as many as we can after we listen to all of it."

"Gotta admit that was real smooth, Louis." Inez gave her compliment. "This will screw them over on the outside."

"Yes, a willing confession is very damning evidence of their cover up." Asimov nodded in agreement.

Dillon sent Harvey away to put the holo-tape in a secure place so the entire caravan could listen to later. Now came the hard part, after that the wanderers thanked the caravan and packed up their new stuff, the children soon found themselves not joining them. Victoria handed the baby over to the mother of the family Dillon pointed out earlier and finally confirmed what the young ones were thinking.

Radcliffe could already see their distress and sighed deeply. The group thought it was best for him to break the news to the kids as he approached and kneeled down. "I guess you kids have figured it out by now. We're leaving you here with these very nice people." he said to ease their worries. "You'll all have a real life here, free from that awful place you were born in." he reached his hands out and gently patted each on the head.

He stood back up and turned back to the wanderers, he hoped explaining it quickly would be enough. But as he took the first few steps away, two small arms wrapped around his right leg, followed by another set of arms around his left leg, then another pair of hands grabbing his vest. Radcliffe sighed once more and looked down to see the children holding onto him for dear life. Radcliffe looked back to the wanderers in hopes they would have a suggestion to help, but none of them could think of anything to say at the moment and Dillon was about to step in to help. Radcliffe then came up with a better way and gently made the kids let go and got back down on his knees to be eye to eye with them.

"Look, you kids have to believe me when I say this is for the best." he gently spoke, doing his best to make them understand. "You'll all have a real life here! You will learn to read and talk, make friends your ages and all kinds of things. And that's something more then I can do for any of you." despite his words, the children stood unconvinced and were about to embrace him in protest. "The thing is...I'm not the best role model for you. I drink, I cuss, I used to pick fights for no reason, I'm a mess all around. And that's why you have to stay here, it's the only way to have a better life. I have to keep moving, Seymour will most likely send people after me, and I can't put you in that kind of danger."

The children at long last seemed to understand, even if they still didn't like the idea of leaving him. Dillon slowly walked up behind to help in case the kids continued to resist letting him leave.

"I promise you kids will be happy with these people. Live the childhood I never had. So do this for me, don't throw away this chance." Radcliffe finally seemed to turn them around, even though they still held doubt in their minds on being left with strange adults.

Radcliffe stood back up and gave the children one last smile, hoping they would understand one day when they got older. The boy quickly dashed forward and wrapped his arms around Radcliffe's waist and held tight. For a moment he was about to huff in annoyance, thinking the boy was still being refusing to let him leave. But instead it was something Radcliffe didn't expect to hear, it was faint and quick, but the boy uttered four words that ran deep through his heart.

"Thank you for everything..."

The former Raider felt a lump in his throat for a moment, completely at a lost for words. So he gently patted the boy's head again as he finally let go of his waist. Dillon stepped in and held the boy's shoulders in assurance as Radcliffe turned away and regrouped with the wanderers and started walking.

"Take good care of yourselves and each other!" Radcliffe waved his arm up in the air to them. "And who knows, maybe we'll see each other again! It's a crazy world after all!"

Louis gave his Pip-Boy a quick check before they passed the patrolled caravan perimeter. The children waved goodbye with their thin arms swinging wildly, already beginning to miss them and their short time together. Once the wanderers got about two miles away from the caravan, they all stopped their pace. An awkward silence fell on them as Radcliffe stood on the outside of the group.

"So...I suppose this is it, huh?" he spoke to break the silence.

"What will you do now?" Victoria asked him.

"I dunno. Find a town, get a lot of drinks, find a place to sleep and do it all again. Probably not in the same order."

"Living the good life, huh?..." Doug said, not hiding his sarcasm.

Louis placed a hand on his covered left wrist, the recording filed away in the Pip-Boy's storage. "That reminds me, do you think Seymour will send people after us? I can't imagine he'll let us live after what we've seen."

"Oh, without a doubt he will!" Radcliffe answered a little too casually over the potential of being in someone's crosshair. "I wouldn't be surprised if he already rounded up a squad right now."

"I calculated as much." Asimov chimed in. "But it's doubtful they know which direction we've taken and could take a very long time to find our trail."

"Trust me, they won't spare any expenses. But I guess it's to be expected." Radcliffe took his Hardballer from its holster and looked at it. "Which is why I better make sure I got plenty of ammo."

"Going out guns blazing, huh?" Inez remarked. "Sounds like something you would do."

"Not unless you come with us..." Louis suddenly said, making everyone go silent and look at him. "It's your best option."

"Are you seriously suggesting we bring him with us?" Doug asked, somehow not finding it surprising he would make a suggestion like that. "This is not the time to put your big heart out there."

"I agree." Inez said disapprovingly. "We still don't know much about him. And you said it yourself, he tried to rob you!"

Louis turned back around to face everyone. "You're right, he did. But I also believe in forgiveness and a second chance. And if we do face a threat from Seymour and the others, then having one more person will give us another advantage."

"We are stronger as a group." Wayland nodded in agreement, also willing to give Radcliffe a chance. "I don't mind at all if he joins us."

Joe grumbled in his usual annoyed way, took out a cigarette and popped it in his mouth. Like Inez, he didn't like the idea of Radcliffe tagging along. "Listen, we went through hell getting out of Paradise's Raid, and it's because of his recklessness we got sucked into it in the first place." he pointed right at Radcliffe, the lighter held firmly in his hand. "I'm glad we got those kids a new home, but I can tell just by looking at him that he doesn't think things through and probably causes more trouble then he's worth..."

Radcliffe wanted to protest in response, or deck Joe in the jaw. Either way would have been fine. Yet he knew Joe wasn't wrong. After his clan's home burned to the ground, he spent years wandering aimlessly or joining up with other small Raider groups or common alley thugs and other dishonest people. He might have learned a lot from them, but it always ended in disaster at some point whether by some outside force or his own screw ups. And it was worse when he found out some of the people he traveled with were using him thanks to his small size. And he feared bringing that same problem onto them.

"I'm more then aware of what led us up to this point." Louis cut in. "But I stand by what I said earlier," he turned his head back to Radcliffe. "It's your choice if you want to join us, and I won't hold it against you if ever want to leave. We're all here by choice."

Radcliffe stood dumbfound for a moment before his hand reached up and scratched the back of his head and started laughing. "Wow! You're something else." he put his Hardballer away and took a deep breath. "Alright, I'll join if you guys will have me. I won't let you down."

"Welcome to the team..." was all Victoria could say, deciding to at least give him a chance too.

Wayland applaud to that, his hands clapping almost like thunder. Inez turned away with a huff, cringing at the idea of him coming along. Asimov reached his hand out to try and comfort her, but she paced off without her noticing what he was trying to do. Joe lit his smoke and took a deep drag, and exhaled into the air while muttering something to himself.

"Just don't think we're gonna carry you around when you get too drunk to walk." Chloe warned him firmly. "You drink when we have a place to settle down for the night like in a town."

"No promises..." Radcliffe spoke lowly through his teeth.

"Then we're all in agreement to give Radcliffe a chance with us." Louis walked up and gave him a pat on the shoulder. "Now let's get a move on, we're losing daylight."

"Right, I'll do my god-damnedest here with you guys." Radcliffe fist pumped at his side with pride. "But I have to ask, what are you all up to out here anyway? I don't want to do anything that's too shady."

They began walking again in a spaced group, Louis pulled up his sleeve and showed him the Pip-Boy. "That's right, you don't even have a clue what's going on here." he chuckled and flipped the setting. "Well, we got plenty of time for me to explain."

()()()()()()()()()()()()

Back at Paradise's Raid in Seymour's office, the headmaster of the six sat at his desk in utter misery. He had all but locked himself in for the past few days, rarely leaving and having whiskey and vodka brought to him. After they found him and recovered from unconsciousness, the six leaders practically went on the warpath with each other. They argued and yelled, hurled insults and threats around to the point that their own guards had to keep them separated in the same room. And in the end they got organized, quelled any other riots happening, and got Paradise's Raid back in order with minimal loss of profits and a handful of casualties to Raiders that thought they could take advantage of the chaos. After everything quieted down, the headmasters barely spoke a word to each other and decided to stay away for a time.

Seymour slammed the empty bottle of whiskey back on the desk and popped open another one. The bruise around his left eye had swollen down only a little, a leftover insult to Radcliffe's former presence. Plans for his death never left Seymour's mind once Paradise's Raid got back under control. And within a day he already started organizing a means to get back at him.

A light knock suddenly rattled his door, startling him from his train of thoughts.

"Come in!"

The door slowly flew open, a man in his late fifties stood at the threshold. His skin was worn and tanned, a scruffy gray beard hanged from his face. He wore old dark clothes with a leather trench coat and a wide brim hat. A number of knifes and probably hidden knifes tucked away all over his body, along with a few handguns and other odd items.

"Glad you came here on such short notice." Seymour said before taking a swig of his drink. "But I'm glad you made the trip, Sawyer. Take a seat."

The man slowly approached the desk, his heavy boots clumping on the floor before he sat down on a chair. "It's no problem. Work is work..." Sawyer responded, his voice as gruff as his face.

"Then I'll cut to the chase." Seymour shifted forward in his seat and placed his elbows on the desk. "I want you to hunt down and kill Radcliffe and anyone he might be traveling with. Kill him and bring his skin back! I know you're one of the best trackers and trappers around, you've used that skill very well with your bounty hunting."

"This Radcliffe," Sawyer said, scratching his rough and dry beard. "I heard he's caused a lot of trouble, other than this riot of course. That woman, Christina, said he was in debt of seventy thousand caps. Do you want me to make him pay if he has it?"

Seymour scoffed and took another drink. "That's nothing but a mere pittance to us. We make twenty times that in a few days. This is about sending a message! If anyone ever thinks to cross us again, they'll see his tanned skin swinging in the breeze from our entrance! So you just name your price, caps, guns, ammo, food, water, women, whatever you want! We'll get it!"

Sawyer sat and thought it over, all that possible reward for one man almost seemed too good to be true. After a minute he gave his answer. "I want sixty thousand caps for Radcliffe and a thousand for each person with him, I'll even do all the skinning work that you want. And expenses for my travel, but I'll keep that to a minimum. And I want to gather some gear from the shops if it's no problem. I don't know how long it will take, but I will complete my mission."

"I knew I could count on you. That's why they call you Sawyer the Saw Skinner. "Seymour finished his drink and placed the glass down. A smiled came across his face, the first one he made in days. "Whatever you need, take it. When can you start?"

Sawyer rose from his seat, giving his beard a few strokes. "Right now..."


	32. THE SPARTAN OF STEEL

**CHAPTER 32: THE SPARTAN OF STEEL.**

" _It's hard not to be in favor of taking down monsters." -Michael Ledeen._

April 7/2296

Louis patted the smoldering embers of the crude campfire made from cinder blocks placed in a circle with an old two by four that they didn't need to burn last night. Once the embers were out, he started packing his gear along with everyone else.

"Why did you bother smoldering the embers?" Radcliffe asked while throwing his pack over his shoulder. "We're inside a building with concrete floors. And last I checked, concrete doesn't burn like wood."

Louis stood up and looked to him and answered. "To make sure we keep our trail covered, even if we're leaving. We don't want the smoke to attract someone looking for things to steal. Especially if they happen to cross our path. Doug, what's that old saying about campfires your Dad used to say when out in the Wasteland?" he called to him from across the room.

"When there's smoke, there's people to rob." Doug answered while putting his Browning 9mm away in its holster.

"I agree with Louis on putting the embers out." Victoria pointed up to the ceiling, to which Radcliffe followed her finger's direction. "A lot of smoke did billow out last night."

Radcliffe tilted his head at the small crumbling hole, never noticing it until now. And that was something he decided to keep to himself.

Joe and Chloe examined a map spread out on an old table. It proved difficult to find their current location because the map wasn't one on the area. They where still in the state of Pennsylvania, and the detour they took to find the children a home had them completely turned around. Despite Louis' Pip-Boy pointing the way, taking the roads was still the safest way to travel for the most part. But moving around in unfamiliar territory also left them exposed to an attack and would force them to backtrack more, and that was time they couldn't afford to waste.

"I can't make heads or tails of this." Chloe sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose to clear her vision.

"Me either." Joe sighed and started folding the map up. "We need to find directions. Another town will probably have a better map on the area."

"We haven't seen anything close to a town in days." Inez spoke while walking over. "We might be in a zone completely devoid of settlements."

Louis fed Cavall several pieces of dried meat and let him finish drinking from his metal bowl of water. Once the hybrid was satisfied, the Vault dweller gave him a loving pat on the head before moving to scratch under his jaw. "I got a good feeling a settlement will show up soon, guys. You can't go that far without eventually finding a place where people live."

Wayland threw the ammo box of his minigun on before picking up his quad-barrel missile launcher. Making sure all his gear was gathered sometimes proved to be time consuming. "I just hope any settlement we come up to won't start shooting at me before we can say anything. I don't want any of you to get hit." he spoke to them, holding his sledgehammer.

"Don't worry, big guy." Louis got back up from kneeling with the water bowl in hand. "Just stay close to us and we'll tell them you're not a threat."

"Easier said then done, Lou. Strolling up to a settlement with a Super Mutant isn't very common." Doug said while heading to the stairs. "Some people like to shoot first, ask questions never and shoot some more." he stood at the top of the staircase. The building had two stories with steps of crumbling concrete.

"Hold on, Doug." Louis held his hand out for him to wait. "Those steps are breaking apart. One slip and you'll fall."

"I'll be fine." he replied before starting to walk down. "And we need to make a quick sweep of the ground befo-" a chunk og the seventh step he stood on broke under his weight. Doug's voice was caught in his throat as he went falling forward.

Doug's cries of pain rang up as he rolled down the final few steps and onto the bottom floor, throwing some of his gear all over the place from his backpack. Everyone dashed to the staircase in a panic and stopped right at the top to avoid falling suit with Doug.

"Holy shit, Doug! You okay!" Louis called down, taking a few gentle steps. "Doug, just hold on! Try to answer me!"

His reply came in the form of a pained groan. Doug didn't knock himself out from the fall, but it did leave him winded for a few moments and seeing black spots in his vision. Louis reached the bottom of the steps with everyone following behind one after the other. He looked down to his friend and then turned his eyes to Doug's right leg.

"Doug? Oh, boy..."

()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()

Far off in an abandoned town, a grim air lingered with dread. A large, recently new barricade laid across the center of a long street not too far from the dead town's main street. The barricade consisted of metal sheets, old car bodies, oil drums and other random junk tied and weld together with barbwire for extra measure.

Around twenty-four people stood behind the barricade in various positions. All armed with assault rifles, SMGs, some shotguns, a few LMGs, and even a mobile turret that was still being set up. The men and women stood with their guns pointed and ready, yet anyone paying attention could see a lot of the gun barrels lightly trembling from fear. They wore bulletproof vests or materials cobbled together into armor that gave them mild protection.

Standing in the middle of the barrier was a middle aged man of Asian decent. He also wore a bulletproof vest under his jacket and held an assault weapon. He stood ready with his people at his back, doing his best to issue orders and get them in position while keeping himself calm against the coming attack.

"Make sure you have your ammo checked! Give any extras you have to someone who doesn't have much! Double check your magazines and shells, make sure they go with the right guns! How much longer on that turret?"

"A few more minutes!"

"You got half that time to get it running!"

Two scouts came from a nearby alley, a man and woman that looked like they had just ran a marathon. "Hey! Hiromi! They're coming! They're coming around the bend this minute!" the man called out.

The people began to panic upon hearing that. A lot of them started to lose their nerve and considered fleeing, others became disorganized and shifted around at their stations. Some fell behind their barricade and began to pointlessly pray for help.

"Dammit all!" Hiromi cursed. "It was a diversion after all! They _did_ plan to come this way!" he looked to his panicking people and took command. "Hold your ground! This is what Spartan has been teaching us! We will not disgrace everything he's taught by running!" that seemed to calm them for the most part and return to their positions. "We'll survive this, have faith and wait for reinforcements! Spartan will make his way back!"

A crashing boom made everyone go silent, their eyes darted towards the end of the street as a flaming oil barrel rolled in leaving a trail of fire behind. One of the enemies' fear tactics to scare them all up, followed by savage screams and bloodcurdling cries of war echoing throughout the air as the creatures came running out from around the corner.

Super Mutants.

Fifty-four of the hulking yellowish green beasts charged out, waving their melee weapons, popping off rounds into the air and shouting all kinds of death threats to the trembling humans that were once again losing their nerves. Another Super Mutant with barely any form of clothes or armor tossed another flaming oil barrel towards the barricade, landing at least fifteen feet away from them. As the last of the Super Mutants came around, a very different one brought up the rear.

It was like the others except wearing much better crafted armor, it was missing a chunk of its lower left lip, showing a few of its dark yellow teeth. A part of its left arm was missing, and in place of the hand rested a metal cap that went down a part of the forearm and seemed to be bolted into the flesh to keep it in place. At the end of the cap was a short staff connected to an axe, but not a simple axe head of modern design. Instead it greatly resembled a battle axe, including the blade and a point at the back and top.

The leading Super Mutant looked to the people, almost smelling their fear and grinned as best it could. "Kin! Go and gather! Kill who resist and capture as many as you can! We need them to make more of us!" it shouted and pointed with its axe to the crowd as if signaling them to charge.

"More of us! More of us! More of us!" the Super Mutants chanted in unison before charging forward.

Hiromi held his arm up, signing everyone to wait and hold their ground even as bullets started to fire their way. "Wait for it! Just wait!" he needed the Super Mutants to get close enough so they could have maximum effect since their ammo was scarce.

The Super Mutants closed in, crossing many feet in moments until Hiromi felt they were close enough.

"Open fire!"

The people didn't waste a second, their guns lit up with flashes of bullets and empty shells hitting the ground. Several of the Super Mutants with melee weapons in the first row fell, either injured or dead, but they were simple groundlings that were duller than normal and looked at as disposable. The ones with firearms took defensive positions throughout the street, getting behind rusting vehicle heaps and the narrow alleys of the buildings.

From that point on, gunshots were exchanged. The people kept their shots concentrated and only fired when they had good openings. But they already began to drop like flies, either from shoots that wounded them greatly or couldn't continue thanks to the pain of being hit in the chests while wearing bulletproof vests. Hiromi ducked back down behind his section and started reloading his rifle, it was all he could do to keep himself steady and lead by example, just as the one they call Spartan taught. Once he was done reloading and took his position back up to return fire, only to see a new threat moving in.

Ten Super Mutants, split into two groups of five, carried two massive walls across the battlefield. The walls consisted of thick metal plates, standing around eight feet tall and more or less fourteen feet wide. The metal plates were welded and bolted in uneven patterns, showing their crude craftsmanship. The ones carrying the walls from behind held them up by thick bars that were actually once steps bolted into concrete walls like a sewer ladder. Small slots were made all over to allow the carriers to peek through or for others to fire. The wall carriers slowly marched forward, anyone lucky enough to land a head shot to the Super Mutant peeking through was soon replaced with a new one.

Seeing the walls creep closer made the settlers begin to fear the worse as the other Super Mutants started running behind them for protection, even if a few were shot down as they ran. The walls was only a few feet away and closing in, their ammo wasted on it, even with the automatic turret now firing away.

Hiromi's rifle clicked empty again and kneeled to reload, the people near his position were also reloading, missing the slot over and over from nerves wracked with fear. Four Super Mutants suddenly ran out from behind the wall, waving long and very crude blades with jagged edges. Hiromi looked on in horror as they crossed the gap in no time and stood in front of the barricade, which looked easy enough for them to vault over and bring their blades down on the first few helpless victims.

The first Super Mutant cried out in pain moments after three red beams streaked across the air and into its chest, leaving smoldering holes in its armor and flesh. It collapsed to the ground as the next one received two beams to the eye and forehead. The third turned to run and was put down with a few more bolts to the back. The last one received a hail of bullets and fell forward and slumped over the barricade.

Hiromi perked up, those still standing and fighting turned to their savior that came marching in with heavy clomps pounding the pavement and four scouts following behind.

A man in Power Armor approached, Power Armor that greatly resembled the T-60 model, yet its shoulder panels were much more broader like the ones of a X-01. Its armor plating had a different color to it, instead of the usual dull shades of gray, its color had a very faint hue of light blue to it. The plating even looked almost an inch thicker than normal yet still allowed flexibility to the wearer. Even the joints had a different and darker material to it, everything on the armor looked custom made. The helmet was the same except for the headlight being rectangle in shape instead of round, giving it a wider and brighter range. On the left chest plate was the word 'Spartan' etched in bold letters that didn't make it stand out too much yet drew anyone's attention once up close.

The man in the Power Armor marched over to Hiromi and held out his hand. Hiromi took the big metal hand with tiny scratches all over it. The whole body was covered in old and new scratches that weren't that noticeable from afar and could be buffed out. He pulled him up with ease and let Hiromi get his balance back.

"The attack on where we patrolled was a diversion." the man in the Power Armor spoke, cutting right to the chase. "You did a great job leading these people, Hiromi. Get the injured out of here, I'll take care of the rest."

"Right away!" Hiromi nodded before looking back to his people. "Fall back! Get the injured and those who can still fight, stay behind and support Spartan!"

To that, the man called Spartan leaped over the barricade and landed his feet with a thunderous slam. In his hands was a prized laser rifle, heavily modified beyond any normal one. The body itself was slightly larger with a number of reinforced panels and filled with new parts, even the stock had been redesigned with a shock absorber. The end had three barrels in a triangular shape and a large one in the center. An electronic scope rested on top, giving the laser rifle a sniper option.

The Spartan looked to the approaching wall and prepared himself, for a number of the Super Mutants remained despite the resistance's efforts to fight them. With that, he slightly squatted as a whir of gears and actuators was heard coming from the legs. The Power Armor activated a speed boost that propelled him forward through the hail of bullets.

In moments the Spartan rammed right into the middle of the wall on the right. The impact made the wall buckle inward a little and sent it falling back and pinning the five Super Mutants under it. The momentum sent the Spartan falling, but he easily regained his balance by rolling despite the bulky Power Armor and was soon back on his feet. Now he turned his attention to the other Super Mutants holding up the other wall and took aim. In five rapid shots the hulking beings were shot down at the sides and heads before they could even manage to turn the wall around to protect themselves. The metal wall came crashing forward to the ground, wobbling upon impact before settling at the Spartan turned his attention to the other charging Super Mutants closing in. One of the mutations started crawling out from under the first fallen wall, only for Spartan to bring his metal foot down on its head. The cranium became crushed in a little at an awkward shape with blood and brains leaking out.

He took aim, steady and disciplined as ever, just as he was taught in the BOS. Red beams flew through the air, causing the Super Mutants to spread out and force him to pick his targets. The people who stayed behind gave their support by attacking with renewed confidence. Their rain of bullets now reduced to pops while the wounded were carried away.

Another Super Mutant with no armor fell face forward to the ground with a few burning holes that went through the chest and out the back. The Spartan saw a heavily armored one charging with two axes in hand, he turned a small knob on the side before aiming again and fired, this time three triangular beams came from the barrels and started to burn the mutation's armor. A few more beams finally burned through and the rampaging Super Mutant collapsed. A panel on the side flipped open, two depleted microfusion cells popped out as Spartan reached into his side pouch to take out new ones while scolding himself for forgetting he had already used a lot of the cells' energy from earlier.

The Super Mutants noticed he stood vulnerable and began charging in. They happen to end up in a wavering line while closing in, not allowing him the chance to reload. But instead of backing up or turning to run, the Spartan placed his left hand under the body of the laser rifle near the front and pulled a slide back like shotgun as a different charge noise rang out and pulled the trigger. The large barrel in the middle of the tri-barrels unleashed a massive laser beam that streaked through the air, in that instant each charging Super Mutant stopped in their tracks and looked down at their chests. Each one had a burning, gaping hole in their chests big enough for a person to put their fist through. The Super Mutants barely uttered a breathless gasp before falling straight down like stones.

Another slot on top behind the scope flipped open and popped out another microfusion cell that was steaming from overheating. Spartan continued reloading, now having to put three in as another scream came from the side. He barely had time to turn as the head of a sledgehammer came flying for his head. He lifted both arms up and took the brunt of the blow that sent the laser rifle flying from his hands and onto the ground. He mentally sighed as the new Super Mutant continued swinging blindly with its weapon.

Spartan held his arms up, blocking each hit with his forearms, easily predicting the attacks. And those that landed on his sides or chest were absorbed by the suit's kinetic dampeners. But soon he realized the Super Mutant was trying to back him up against one of the buildings. He leaped back and lowered his arms to the sides and waited for the Super Mutant to close in. The lumbering mutant didn't hesitate and charged with its sledgehammer raised, and that was what the Spartan wanted. He flicked his arms and two long blades popped out from the forearms, they were wide with strong tips that could pierce through almost anything.

The Super Mutant swung its sledgehammer just as Spartan lashed out with his right arm and sliced the shaft near the head right off. The head clattered onto the ground and the Super Mutant stood dumbfound as Spartan swung his other arm and sliced open its neck with ease. Blood sprayed like a fountain and the Super Mutant fell to its knees and then face down while holding its bleeding neck. Another one came charging in with a baseball bat, it was child's play for him to dodge and swing outward to slice open its exposed belly. Its guts spilled onto the ground, it screamed while trying to pull its intestines back in before blood loss took its toll. Once more another Super Mutant charged towards its death, Spartan raised both arms and plunged both blades into its torso until his balled fists touched the chest. The Power Armor kicked its lifting capacity up a few notches and hoisted the Super Mutant up with ease and threw him aside to the ground.

The Super Mutants backed off, their numbers have dwindled too much and their ammo was running low. The axe arm Super Mutant, who stayed away from the battle since the beginning, started to feel they had been lost. Spartan flicked his arms again and the blood and flesh stained blades retracted back into the forearm housings. He dashed over and picked up his laser rifle and finally reloaded the two slots with three microfusion cells and sighed in accomplishment.

A low growl escaped from the torn lips of the axe arm Super Mutant. Their numbers have been thinned out faster than planned, at the moment no gunshots were exchanged as the remaining ones stood waiting with their weapons pointed. The fighters also waited for the Super Mutants to make a move, and mostly because they were almost out of ammo and couldn't hold out against another assault.

"Retreat! Fall back!" the axe Super Mutant called out, waving its weapon in the air before turning to run, not even making sure its kin were following.

Spartan didn't bother to give chase or shoot the ones fleeing, taking care of everyone came first. Hiromi ran up to him, keeping his eyes on the fallen Super Mutants in case some were still alive. A lot of them have learned the hard way that sometimes a few bullets to the body isn't enough to fully put them down.

"If it wasn't for you, we would be dead or worse, Spartan." he said once coming to a stop in front of him.

Spartan turned away from the road the Super Mutants fled and faced Hiromi. "It's because of your leadership you all held out. I would have never been able to take them all myself. What's the status of the injured?"

"We've already gotten them out. Thankfully, no casualties. But we can't waste a moment getting them treated." Hiromi informed quickly.

"Good." Spartan nodded. Yet something about there being no casualties made him wonder. "But these attacks...they're too focused and organized. They don't even take as many kill shots. They're trying harder then ever before to take prisoners. I actually wouldn't be surprised if that diversion was just to draw our forces away so they can get to your stronghold. They really do need more people."

Hiromi shuddered in thought of the Super Mutants reaching their home. All those people a sitting target wondering each day if they would be killed, eaten, or taken away to be made into Super Mutants. It was thanks to Spartan that they were able to organize and come together and put up a defense and fight back. But no matter how many they killed, new ones always showed up at some point.

"What do you want us to do now?"

Spartan gripped his laser rifle tight and stood straight. "You make sure everyone gets back safe. I'll scout around and make sure there aren't anymore waiting to attack. We can't lose hope after all we've fought and bled for."

Hiromi gave a quick salute, another habit he and the fighters have picked up from Spartan's training. The man of the Brotherhood returned the salute before turning around and ran off in the direction the Super Mutants went, determined to make them stay away. Hiromi went back to join those leaving, but not before gathering what they could from the Super Mutants since the last thing they wanted was any of that valuable materials to go to waste in the open.

()()()()()()()()()()()()()

"I just can't believe this..." Doug muttered to himself once more, arms crossed and frowning deeply.

"Doug, you've been saying that for hours." Louis looked back over to him. "Just chill. It's only a sprained ankle, you'll be fine in no time."

"A sprained ankle doesn't just heal overnight!" Doug argued back. "I'm completely defenseless right now!"

"Defenseless?!" Radcliffe scoffed. "You're getting carried like a newly wed by Wayland!"

As the Raider said, Doug rested in Wayland's massive arms. Carried bridal style with his right boot off to not irritate his raised ankle. Doug couldn't stop beating himself up, even with friends an injured member of a group is always a great risk to themself and others.

"I don't mind carrying you at all, Doug." Wayland smiled softly, not fully understanding his worry. "You are very light."

Doug sighed and turned his head away, slightly envying the Super Mutant's simple outlook. "It's fine. The sooner we find a settlement, the sooner I can get patched up. We're vulnerable while I'm like this."

"And the sooner you guys can find a place for your honeymoon!" Radcliffe said before barking with laughter.

"Radcliffe, if you don't shut it, another person here is going to have a sprained ankle with no one to carry that said asshole!" Joe shot him a warning glance.

"He's right, Radcliffe." Inez said while brushing past Radcliffe rather harshly. "And a person laughing like a jackass draws just as much attention."

Radcliffe shut up at that point but kept muttering swears to himself.

A few minutes passed until a large town came into view. One that looked more like the ruins of a place that had suffered endless battles. Yet they decided to risk it and go in with hopes that people are living nearby. Once they went in and started moving down the street, their nerves went on the defense. The air was stale, yet had a faint smell of gunpowder and smoke, an odd thing for a seemingly abandoned town. They even spotted a few casings here and there, Joe stopped and picked up a few to observe them. He showed what he discovered to the group, pointing out that the casings were relatively new and not rusted. Now they began to worry even more, thinking the town might have had a big fight go down or still in the middle of it. All they could do for the moment was pick up the pace and keep their guard up while staying close and try to find someone friendly.

()()()()()()()()()()()()

"Open up! We got injured!" Hiromi called out to the large gate they came up to.

The fighters finally reached their home settlement, a section of the town that had been barricaded with concrete and metal plated walls with guard posts every fifteen feet or so. A moat of poles made into spikes and barbed wire rested against the surrounding wall to add more protection. Many of the old buildings weren't too far from the makeshift walls, snipers patrolled on top with a number of mounted guns stationed near the ends of the roof. Guards stood behind the mounted guns, holding the handles with thumbs just resting over the triggers.

The big metal gate slowly swung open as several more guards came out, in case the Super Mutants were lying in wait or watching from afar. Hiromi and the fighters carried back their injured on stretchers or on their backs and shoulders. Even a few had to be dragged back on thick tarps, making the ride back quite unpleasant. The people from inside the gate wasted no time retrieving the injured and bring them inside to be treated, careful to not worsen their wounds. Hiromi stayed out from the settlement gate until every injured man and woman was brought in. While he waited, another guard with more durable armor, one of the people in command, came running up to him. Panic and worry was written all over his rough face and Hiromi knew something was up.

"Hey, Hiromi! We got a problem!" he said while catching his breath.

The Asian man sighed, knowing he wasn't going to like what he was about to hear. "What is it now? Don't tell me there's another squad of Super Mutants coming."

"Just as bad. The little adventurers got out again! We can't find Sid, Emily, Cameron, James, and Wally anywhere!"

"Dammit all! Again?" Hiromi grumbled with his hand over his eyes. "Okay, no time to waste! Spartan is still out there patrolling. Me and a few others will go find them. You make sure the injured get taken care of, keep an eye out for trouble!"

Hiromi and the people he called to follow him ran off before anyone could say anything else and tended to the injured.

()()()()()()()()()()()

The still looked for any signs of people while remaining cautious. Another long stretch of road laid before them, the surrounding buildings either still stood or crumbled into ruble a long time ago. Giving odd openings and messy barricades all around the town blocks, a danger to anyone who didn't know the area.

While the wanderers walked through the streets, another person patrolled the streets many meters away. Spartan entered a three stories building and marched up the stairs and onto the roof. He has taken to using the roofs as a means of scouting for trouble. It gave him the advantage because if he was cornered or coming under attack, he could simply jump off and land with no problems thanks to his Power Armor. Yet he knew it could only take so many feet before even the shock absorbers and inertia disperse system would fail. At best it could take at least six stories from what he learned with the new model.

Spartan raised his laser rifle and looked down the scope and started scanning the ground. "Now let's see...last we checked, the Super Mutants seemed to have an interest in this place." he said to himself, focused on nothing else but the task at hand.

He turned his scope down to the ground, slowly moving and looking for any signs of life. He passed a shade of blue and stopped, moving back to said color before making the scope zoom in to get a fuller view of a man in blue.

"A Vault dweller in a trench coat? That's interesting to say the least." Spartan said before moving the scope up. One by one he looked them over, making a mental note of their appearances to see if they were any form of threat. "Let's see, a redhead. Wow, that's like...blood red. I wonder if it's dyed. Another woman with plasma weapons, seems like a mercenary. A Ghoul, they usually don't travel with that many normal people. Another woman, seems Hispanic, and most likely a mechanic with all those tools. And...an Assaultron?! Another model type?. And...a dog? Or a wolf? I've never seen a canine that big! What else, another man, who looks incredibly shady. And from the way he's walking...is he drunk? And there's a..."

He paused upon seeing Wayland, almost squeezing the trigger thanks to impulse. But it wasn't just seeing the Super Mutant that made him stay his hand. Rather, it was seeing another young man being carried in his arms with one of his boots off and displaying a disgruntled look on his face, yet didn't seem like a prisoner at all.

Spartan moved his head away from the scope's view, completely at a lost. "Well that's...something you don't see every day..."

()()()

Five children, ranging from seven to nine in age, walked the streets alone. All five of them carried small satchels filled with things they scavenged from the buildings. From random bullets to a few pieces of metal like screws and bolts, even a few cans of food. The children reached a section of the street with crumbling buildings and a fallen power pole.

"Let's check this building!" a skinny blonde boy named Sid said to his friends.

"But this one looks dangerous..." a little Asian girl named Emily whined slightly upon seeing the building.

"All the buildings are falling apart or dangerous." Cameron, a dark skin boy pointed out to her.

"I bet we'll find all kinds of treasure!" a rather dust covered boy named James quickly walked up, his hair shaved almost bald. "Maybe even a Fat Man!"

"Even if we found something like that, we can't carry it!" the last boy named Wally said. He tugged on a long strand of his curly ginger hair out of habit.

"We're not gonna find anything by standing around. Now come on, guys! We need to show our Knight we can be of help too!" Sid began marching up to threshold, acting as the lead.

Once he got within several feet, he stopped upon seeing something in the dark. A large bulky figure that he couldn't make out but assumed it was their Knight and waved his arm up. But fear suddenly streaked across his face, the hulking being stepped out of the dark, and it wasn't the Power Armor man they called Knight. A Super Mutant with a few scars on its face looked down to the boy and growled with hunger.

"Little humans! Get back here!" it bellowed before giving chase.

The kids were too afraid to even scream, they turned and ran while dropping their satchels. Three more charged out, zeroing in on them in moments before they could even get to the middle of the street. One grabbed James and Wally by the arms and held tight to the point of bruising, another snatched Emily by the collar of her jacket and picked her up like a rag doll. The third Super Mutant snatched Sid and Cameron by their arms and pulled them back harshly, almost dislocating their arms in the process. The first one that found the kids stood over them, grinning wide at the possibilities on what to do with them.

"What we do with them?!" the one holding James and Wally asked its kin.

"They too small to make one of us!" the one holding Emily said while dangling her around. The little girl finally began to whimper with tears streaking down her cheeks. "Quiet! Or we eat you now!"

"Hey! That sound like good idea!" the Super Mutant hoisted Sid and Cameron up and licked its lips. "I'm getting hungry..."

The children finally broke out into screams and calls for help, and the Super Mutants added on by laughing at how weak and feeble they were to them. The mix of screams and laughter echoed throughout the street, catching the attention of both the wanderers, and Spartan on the roof.

He turned his laser rifle scope and felt his voice hitch in his throat. Anger flooded him before remembering his discipline. In one swift motion he leaped off the room and came falling back to earth and landed with a heavy thud, cracking the ground around his feet and charged forward at full speed.

"Hang on, kids! Just hang on!" he said to himself, keeping his breathing steady. "I won't let anyone take you!"

The wanderers looked towards the screams and crouched low to stay out of sight before reaching cover behind some rusted cars. Louis, Joe, and Chloe poked their heads up for a moment to look around in case more were coming thanks to the noise.

"Dammit! These things are out this far?..." Chloe spoke almost a little too loud.

"Well, not many things can easily stop them. Especially when they're in groups." Joe commented while reaching for his combat shotgun. "But all the same, it's rotten luck to bump into some."

"And those kids, I can't fully hear what the Super Mutants are saying, but I get the feeling they're quite hungry." Louis drew both his colts and held them tight. "Okay...we need a plan. Let's split in half, surround the Super Mutants and wait until we all have clear shots for their heads and chests. Let's start by-"

A shadow suddenly loomed over, he quickly turned his head up to see Wayland standing over. Before anyone could speak, Wayland carefully placed Doug down next to Louis and pulled out his sledgehammer and held it tight in both hands. The farmer vocally complained of being passed around like a burlap sack.

"Stay here, I'll handle this." he said, moving before any of them could try to stop him.

"But Wayland..." Louis began to stand up.

"No. Stay here! I'm the only one that can get close enough." he spoke more firmly, this time to all of them.

That stopped the group from taking action, something about Wayland's actions made them a little uneasy as he quickly made his way over.

"What is he planning? He's not thinking of taking them all on, is he?" Louis questioned, he considered following, but stopped himself and decided to trust Wayland's plan.

Radcliffe on the other hand had something else to say. "Okay, if no one is gonna say it, then I will."

"And what would that be?..." Inez frowned towards him.

"Isn't it obvious? He's joining up with his kind. Figure the odds would be better with them than us." he finished with an equally cold frown.

"You don't know him!" Victoria spun around to face him from her crouched position. "And you don't know how bad he's been treated by his own before joining us. Just trust him."

"If Wayland is planning on facing them, he stands a high probability of success since it's unlikely they will see him as an enemy." Asimov spoke, plain and calculating as ever.

The Super Mutants still argued on what to do with the kids, although the one holding the girl started to growl with hunger burning in its eyes. Wayland's heavy footsteps soon caught their attention, he stopped short a few feet away with a hard face that made him seem more like one of them.

"Who that?..." one of them spoke once they looked him over.

"That one don't look familiar." another said with a quizzical look.

The one without any kids began walking towards Wayland. "Hey! Where you come from? We never see you before back at the factory!" it soon stood right in front of him, which was what he wanted.

Without answering anything, Wayland flung back the sledgehammer until it was hanging behind him. Then in one swift motion the front of the Super Mutant's face was torn clean off. Its lower jaw hanged limply as blood came out like a fountain and collapsed to the ground. The other Super Mutants staggered back in terror and confusion, releasing the kids and allowing them to flee to a nearby dumpster.

"What are you doing?! You gone crazy?!" the closest Super Mutant screamed while reaching for its rifle, fumbling around with the trigger.

Wayland hurried to the next one, his sledgehammer found its mark on top of the Super Mutant's skull before it could loop its finger on the trigger. A noticeable indent could be seen on the Super Mutant's skull, it screamed in horrid pain and fell to its knees, blood dripping from its nose, ears, and mouth as Wayland put it out of its misery by striking it in the back of the head where the neck bones connected and snapped with ease. The third one finally attacked, swinging a machete wildly. Wayland used the head of the sledgehammer to block the strikes, creating sparks with each blow. The mutant swung outward again but stumbled forward and gave Wayland an opening to strike it in the chest hard. Several ribs shattered upon impact and even caused a few to poke out at the side. The Super Mutant's weapon fell from its hand, Wayland lifted the sledgehammer up and stamped the mutant's skull above its eye with the end of the shaft, creating a big bleeding hole like a bullet wound and ended it for good. A bullet being loaded in the chamber made Wayland freeze up, in his haze of battle he lost track of the last one.

"You insane! You no good! You defective! You die like puny humans!" it screamed while taking aim.

Wayland prepared for the worst by raising his arms up in defense, even if it was unlikely that would do any good. Several rapid gunshots rang out, the Super Mutant's left side ruptured with bullet holes and dropped the gun from pain and turned to its shooter. Louis stood several feet away with Joe and Victoria standing side by side. The Super Mutant barely managed towards them before it was shot down with a volley of Louis' assault rifle, Joe's combat shotgun, and Victoria's 10mm SMG. In moments it collapsed to the ground in a pool of its own blood.

"See, big guy?" Louis slung the AN-94 over his shoulder. "That's why you don't do these things alone..."

Wayland looked down to the bodies and sighed in disappointment of himself for being too rash in attacking alone.

The children poked their heads out from behind the dumpster and slowly approached the group, keeping their eyes on the three and Wayland even more. The rest of the group made their approach, Radcliffe carrying Doug on his back with his gear hanging in front of him.

Louis put his gun away and looked down to the approaching kids. He kneeled down to get eye level with them and show he wasn't going to do anything harmful. "Hey there. Are you guys doing okay?" he asked gently, but their attention was mostly on Wayland, to which the Vault dweller picked up on. "Hey, it's okay. His name is Wayland, and trust me, he's a good guy."

Radcliffe also got in close, a worried frown came across his face. "Oh, dammit. Please tell me you kids have parents or someone who's taking care of you..."

The children gave each other confused glances before looking up to him and nodding in response. Heavy footsteps approached from behind, thinking it was another Super Mutant or something else, everyone turned to face the coming threat. But the children's eyes lit up with joy upon seeing their Knight coming to the rescue, even calling and waving their arms up.

The Spartan aimed his laser rifle right at Wayland. "Step away from the children, now!" he came to a hard stop with his aim still steady.

"The Brotherhood of Steel? Here?..." Joe said to himself, something stirred in his memories from long ago.

Chloe took a few steps back, hand over the plasma pistol at her hip. She had a right to be worried, remembering the warning her father gave on the BOS before he died. "Of all the people to come across in the Wasteland."

"I won't say it again! Step away now, mutant!" Spartan warned fiercely, his finger moments from pulling.

Louis jumped in between them with his Desert Eagle aiming right at his helmet. "You back the hell off, or you're gonna find trouble with all of us!"

The Spartan lowered his laser rifle a little and looked around at the strangers, almost all of them pointing their guns at him, save for Radcliffe and Doug. He couldn't help but admire their loyalty to each other. "I must say, it's not often to see people stick up for a Super Mutant..."

"We stick up for any one of us." Louis retorted. "And you should be thanking Wayland for saving those kids. He's the one that took action first."

Spartan finally lowered the end of his gun to the ground, standing down for now. "Who are you people and why did you come here? Don't you know about the Super Mutants in this area?"

"Oh, god, don't tell us there's more!" Doug groaned, fearing his disadvantage even more.

"I'm afraid so. There's always more." Spartan answered before turning his attention to the kids. He went over and kneeled down in front of them. "And as for you kids...why are you out here? You know how dangerous it is. What do you all think would have happened if none of us were here?" he said while keeping his anger in check, yet his tone stayed firm and clearly indicating they were in trouble.

"We just wanted to help!" Sid argued, standing in front of them like a leader. "We came out here to salvage!"

"Yeah! We found lots of stuff!" Emily went to her bag on the ground and held it for him to see.

"Some ammo, canned food, and even tools!" Cameron also held up his bag for Spartan, too.

The children held up the bags to him, any anger that Spartan had faded away. He stood back up with a light chuckle coming from his synthesizer. "Indeed you guys have gathered quite a lot. You've earned your title as the Scavenger Squad, as you call yourselves. But now's the time to return home."

"This home of yours," Louis asked to get his attention. "Is it a place where we can buy some things or get a map of the area?"

Spartan turned back to them, there was still many questions on his mind that he wanted to ask. Including the Vault dweller and their Super Mutant companion. "We might be able to help you all. But follow me, it's still dangerous out here."

"What about Wayland?" Victoria curtly asked. "Is he allowed to come?"

The man in Power Armor stopped and looked back while thinking it over. "Keep him close once we reach their settlement. I'll tell everyone what's going on, I have some questions to ask. Kids, stay close to me."

Not long after they began walking, Hiromi and his group found them and ended up pointing their guns towards Wayland. Spartan stepped in between both sides to avoid any exchange of gunfire. He gave Hiromi a quick explanation of what happened with the children and how Wayland came to their rescue. With hesitation, Hiromi understood and agreed to letting the wanderers and even Wayland in to their home.

Almost an hour of walking finally brought them a large wall with a long gate. The wanderers stopped for a few moments to look at the wall to allow Hiromi and his team to run ahead and give everyone on duty at the wall a heads up and to spread the message. While they waited, it became clear that the walled section of the town was for more than looks or protection, the Super Mutant threat was bigger than they imagined. After a few minutes Hiromi waved the all clear and allowed them to come forward with the Spartan in the lead.

He turned back to the group before they proceeded any further. "I think it's best Wayland completely disarms before we go in. It will put everyone at ease."

"Spartan, listen..." Louis began to say once more.

Wayland suddenly went passed him while taking off the ammo backpack of his minigun and held it up to the man in Power Armor. "Here. You carry this."

Spartan nodded and took the heavy weapon from him. A familiar weight could be felt even through the armor. "Thank you. I'll give this back later."

Wayland continued with his disarming, giving Louis his AK-47, Victoria his sledgehammer, and Asimov his quad-barrel missile launcher. Soon the Super Mutant stood weaponless, his ammo and supplies the only things he currently carried. After that they pressed on, once they went through the gate, all eyes were instantly on them. Both over the fact that it had been a very long time since outsiders came, and that a Super Mutant had finally breached their gate after fighting for so long to keep them out. Even if one was invited in by their guardian. But still ironic either way.

Spartan continued to lead them on, he had a private strategy room where he could finally question the odd mix of a group. The sectioned off town was a zone of old buildings, ranging from small apartments and other forms of businesses that have been refitted to support the surprisingly large population of a few hundred people. Hiromi joined back up with them to give Spartan the current status report of the fight from earlier.

"How many ended up injured during the attack?" he asked.

"More than half of us. Which brings our entire fighting force down to around one hundred and five, strong." Hiromi answered.

"One hundred and five." Spartan sighed to that number. "We started with three hundred and ten able bodies. And our current population is four hundred and sixty-two. All of them either too young, too old, or unable to fight. What's the injured's current status?"

"Thankfully they'll pull through. But our supplies are stretched thin as it is and we simply don't have enough stimpaks to help speed it up. We need to save them for those who have it the worst." Hiromi answered, knowing that their situation was growing more grim by the day.

"Understood. We'll go over the supplies later. Just make sure they get the care they need. We might have to rely on some home remedies you've talked about before." Spartan said before Hiromi headed off to get more updates around the settlement.

Finally, they stood in front of their main base of operations. A building that was once a Super-Duper mart many times bigger than normal. Enough to easily hold a few hundred people inside and store all their weapons, food, and supplies. It had even been refitted to act as a place for a last stand if worst came to worst. The sign above had been taken apart, leaving its faded letter marks behind.

"Good god, who builds a Super-Duper mart this big in a town like this?..." Louis asked out loud while looking up to the top.

"Greedy corporations that force their way into every town like this..." Joe answered, half jokingly and half serious.

"It's size has proven very useful. It's held up well in the last two hundred years or so." Spartan said almost admiringly at it. "Now we're going inside. Stay close because it can get very hectic."

They approached the glass doors that actually worked and went in. As expected, the inside was filled with people doing tasks like carrying crates or moving weapons and supplies to their designated locations. Even though word got to them about a Super Mutant being escorted in by Spartan, everyone nearby couldn't help but either stand and stare or get away.

"Alright, kids, go back to your parents and don't get into trouble." Spartan said to them before they went any further. "I'm sure they have a lot to talk about with each of you for running off again."

"We were only trying to help you, Knight." Sid avoided the gaze of his lenses.

Gently, Spartan reached his giant metal hand out and placed it on the skinny boy's shoulder. Not even making the child stagger or crumble. "The best thing you guys can do to help is stay safe. Once the threat is gone, you kids will be tasked with making this town a good place to live. Now run along..."

They said goodbye to their Knight and headed off to find their parents and the long lecture to come. The Spartan waited until they were gone before continuing to the back of the mart. As they moved, Spartan was approached by a few people here and there, all giving their reports and him relaying new ones or making changes to their current tasks.

"So why does everyone call you Spartan, and the kids call you Knight?" Chloe asked as the last of the fighters went off. "Doesn't that get confusing?"

"They call me Spartan as a form of formality during fights and because of the etch on my chest." he answered while tapping on it. "And all the kids like to call me Knight because they think I'm a knight from tales long past. You know, protect the villagers, save the princess, slay the dragon. All those stories of make-believe."

"At least they have someone to look up to." Louis said as a few kids waved to Spartan. "Good thing they don't know that knights aren't as noble or amazing as they're cracked up to be."

"Oh, I know the history of knights too. But what they don't know won't hurt them. They are just kids after all."

At last they reached the back room, which was once the employee break room, and a very big one at that. Spartan allowed them in first, they laid down their gear and weapons to take the weight off for a bit. Doug was gently placed down on a rolling chair as Spartan asked for someone to come treat him when a doctor was available before closing the door.

The break room had been converted to a mission room, four tables were cluttered together to form one big one covered in papers, maps, coffee mugs, and many other clutter. On one wall was a large printed map of the entire town with sticky note papers with writings on them covered almost the entire thing, all of it laying out the patrol routes of the Super Mutants and places of interest for them to scout and gather information.

Spartan placed his laser rifle on the table, along with the pouches carrying his ammo. He moved over to the corner and faced the wall for a moment as a faint beep went off. The Power Armor opened up with a whoosh of gears and motors that finally allowed the man inside to step out.

A Caucasian man with a svelte build to his body stood before them, wearing a BOS under-armor for his Power Armor frame. Despite his very slender build, his strong muscles still showed under the padded uniform. He took off his BOS hood and allowed his short and spiky, dark blonde hair to finally be free while running a hand through it to spike it up more. And the thing that stood out the most was his eyes, steel gray in color and just as strong and cool as metal.

He raised his arms up and stretched, popping some bones in his shoulders and back before clearing his throat to speak while coming up to them.

"So now that we're alone, I think it's time to put aside ranks." he held out his right hand to the first person who would shake it. "My name is, Ezrah Qualler. A pleasure to meet you all."


	33. THE POWER PLANT EXPERIMENTS

**CHAPTER 33: THE POWER PLANT EXPERIMENTS.**

" _Adversity makes men, and prosperity makes monsters." -Victor Hugo._

Louis took Ezrah's hand and shook it, followed by a few others doing the same while introducing themselves to the BOS man. Once introductions were out of the way, Ezrah pulled up a rolling chair and sat down as everyone else did the same so they could rest their legs after hours of walking. Although Wayland opted to stand near Asimov since the chairs didn't seem strong enough to support his weight. Cavall sniffed out a corner before laying down to rest happily.

"As I've said earlier, you people are certainly an odd mix." Ezrah said to get the conversation going, looking at the wanderers sitting from across. "But I suppose we should start from the beginning, I'd like to know what's your relationship with this Super Mutant is." he pointed casually to Wayland. "I've never seen or heard of his type before, a very odd shade of light green and no uneven muscle structure or deformities."

Joe suddenly slapped his hand on the table, frowning deeply towards him. "First, you answer some of our questions." he spoke rudely to him. "You're a Brotherhood of Steel, yes?"

Ezrah sat speechless for a moment, finding it not surprising that a lot of people have at least heard of the Brotherhood. "In a manner of speaking, correct."

"Then where the hell is the rest of you? I find it hard to believe you're the only one here. What are you trying to get out of these people?" Joe's lapis colored eyes practically bore into him.

"There is no one else from the Brotherhood here." Ezrah answered bluntly, not showing any offense to Joe's attitude towards his creed. "I...left them. It's a long story, but I can assure you that I'm not here to gather prewar tech or muscle our way into a new territory. I'm here only to help these people."

"So you just up and left and came across this place?" Victoria asked, she had only heard whispers of the Brotherhood from slavers and wanted to know more.

"Not right away. I roamed the Wasteland for about three years before coming across this town." Ezrah answered her. "I've been here for almost a year too. Hmm, I just remembered I turn twenty-seven a few months ago..."

"Just roaming around in Power Armor?" Chloe raised a brow in suspicion. "You'd stick out like a sore Deathclaw thumb."

"Indeed I did. But I helped a lot of people along the way, so I've never regretted it."

"How long have the Super Mutants been attacking this town?" Wayland asked next, making everyone surprised he would even ask something like that.

Ezrah hesitated, something at the back of his mind told him the Super Mutant was trying to gather information. Yet he had never met an abnormal type before either, only read about them from the archives of those they dissected. "They've been attacking for months before I arrived. They come and take who they can and kill anyone who proves difficult to capture."

"So a coin toss for everyone?" Radcliffe bluntly commented before Inez's gloved hand slapped him on the backside of his head, making a sharp smack. "What the flying fuck, Inez?!" he snapped while rubbing his sore spot.

"Can you go at least one minute without saying something stupid or insensitive?..." she asked rhetorically.

"I think we should get back on topic..." Ezrah cringed a little uncomfortably. "The Super Mutants have been attacking nonstop as of late and they are completely relentless. They are surprisingly organized and have fought back in clever ways. Just this morning there was a fight. We built a barricade to block them off, but they came in with two big walls made of metal to shield from our bullets. I don't want to think what would have happened if I didn't show up."

"How many are there besides the four from earlier?" Chloe asked with her finger up for a moment.

"We don't know. Kill one, two more replace it." Ezrah's interlocked fingers clenched together tightly, yet his steady face didn't lose composure. "And they haven't gotten any of us in a long time. Which means they are getting people somewhere else."

Wayland suddenly blinked his eyes in realization upon what Ezrah spoke. "Could it be?..."

Louis overheard what he said and looked to him. "Is there something you want to tell us?"

The Super Mutant soon found all eyes on him, feeling a bit cornered for a moment. Deep down it was something he didn't want to tell out of fear for their judgement. "Before you guys found me, when it was just you, Doug, Joe, Victoria, Chloe, and Cavall. I told you I once helped people escape when I could."

"We remember that," Joe shifted sideways in his seat. "And we also remember getting fed to centaurs as well. Good times. But does it have something to do with this?"

"The Overlord always sent away their captured. A large group of Super Mutants from somewhere else would come and take the humans. And they were never seen again, but the Overlord never told anyone where the humans were taken. Only that they will become more of us and send some if we needed more."

"Now that you mention it, once all the Super Mutants were dead we searched the entire town hall and found nothing that could make people into Super Mutants." Doug spoke, reminiscing grimly on that day of being captured by many of the brutes.

"Indeed, they mostly had a ton of weapons and nasty gore bags." Chloe nodded in agreement.

"So what Wayland is saying...the Super Mutants are operating some kind of trafficking ring to make more of them." Louis scratched his chin for a moment pondering.

Ezrah now had a thousand questions buzzing around in his mind. "You all had this Super Mutant with you for how long and never questioned him before?" he almost slapped his hands on the table, anger starting to boil up inside. "Where did this happen?! This information could be incredibly valuable!"

"Easy there, metal man." Louis held a calming hand out to him. "You don't know what Wayland's been through. He wasn't exactly best buds with his kin, they treated him like an outsider."

"It happened in upstate New York." Victoria answered for the group. "We were passing through before a horde of them attacked a settlement and I ended up abducted along with a few others. Wayland freed me just as my friends came to save me. And even after we got captured, Wayland killed those that were left by-" she stopped herself from speaking any further, remembering they agreed not to outwardly tell people about Wayland's radioactive ability.

Louis mentally sighed in relief before picking up where she left off. "In other words, Wayland proved he isn't like the others. He has a conscience and doesn't needlessly hurt and kill people."

Ezrah's suspicion of Wayland waned for now, but he could tell they were hiding something else. "I see. You all have definitely found a one of a kind with him."

"If the Super Mutants really are trafficking humans across the Wasteland, maybe they're coming here!" Joe tapped his finger a few times on the table to get the point across.

"Right! You said that no matter how many you people kill, more just keep showing up!" Inez said next, the wanderers had told her and Asimov what happened during their trips before they tagged along. "But where could they even do such a thing? I don't know how a Super Mutant is made."

"I too wish to know the process of this incredible metamorphose." Asimov eagerly asked. But his conversation processors went off, indicating that what he said might have been a tad insensitive given the nature. He looked around and found them all staring at him awkwardly and quickly corrected himself. "But only for research to understand and fight it."

Ezrah stood up from his seat and walked towards the map on the wall. He paused for a moment thinking about the countless hours he spent putting it together. His finger landed on the east end of the map, many miles from their position. "Right here. It's an old nuclear power plant that supplied energy to this town. Thanks to some old blueprints the settlers got from city hall, we learned that it was once big enough to employ hundred of people. A countless horde of Super Mutants could easily carve out a den in it. And if what Wayland says is true, they must have somehow set up a system to house the FEV that turns people into them." the more he thought about it, the likelier it seemed. "Yes, it must be. A power plant could easily supply the energy needed to use that cursed virus." his mind became ablaze with ideas and plans, now more then ever an attack was needed to deal the killing blow. "We can halt this operation once and for all. But again, it's the level of organization that worries me. For these Super Mutants to work like this so far from Washington D.C. while creating more of themselves, it's unprecedented. I once tried to bring this up to the Elders of the BOS, trying to reason that the Super Mutants are becoming organized and popping up in places all over the country. But no one would listen and brushed it off."

"So, what, you some kind of special big shot in this BOS or whatever?..." Radcliffe asked halfheartedly. He leaned back in his seat and began to spin around slowly to show just how bored he is.

"What Radcliffe means to say is, you just don't seem like a typical Paladin from what most people have heard." Louis said to clear up the Raider's rudeness.

Ezrah frowned to himself, avoiding their gaze for the moment. "I...was apart of a new special unit of Paladins, ones that are worth a hundred Paladins each. Or at least that's how they, as the saying goes, _marketed_ our new rank. I personally don't want to test that limit." he turned back around and pointed to his armor. "This one is known as the Spartan model. Each one is named after a type of warrior from ancient history."

"Are they all the same or is each one different model?" Asimov asked curiously.

"The same, more or less. But the technology in them is far different than any of our other Power Armor models. But that information is classified." he stood straight and placed his arms behind his waist. Some old habits die hard.

Radcliffe yawned deeply and slowly stood up, stretching his arms into the air. "Well all of this is fine and dandy, but I think we need to get back on track of trading some stuff, find a map and get going."

"Not until we end this threat!" Wayland stepped forward and spoke boldly. "If these Super Mutants are coming from here, then there's no telling how many more will be made."

Louis smiled for him and stood up. "He's right, we can't turn our backs on this, not with so many lives on the line."

Doug almost forgot his sprained ankle before stopping himself from getting up and caused his seat to roll back a little. "We can't just go charging into their den. last time it was more than a dozen or two when we found Wayland." he locked eyes with Louis, despite having to look up. "There could be twice as many in that plant. Maybe even more! For all we know a new batch is being whipped up as we speak!"

"All the more reason to stop it." Louis crossed his arms in determination. "No one should suffer that kind of fate. We just need a plan to get in and go from there."

"I can get in." Wayland held his big hand up. "They will let me into their den and I can search around for ways to stop them from the inside."

"While I appreciate the offer of your plan," Ezrah went back to the table and picked up a folder filled with a few dozen papers. "We've been taking a lot of notes on the Super Mutants from a distance, and they are wary of strangers, even their own kind. Some have even talked about their leader, a type we call an Overlord named, Demon. And it is incredibly brutal and vicious."

"Have you seen this, 'Demon' before?" Chloe asked.

"Only from a distance and very briefly. It never leaves the power plant. But they follow its every command with another as its general calling the shots on the outside." he held up a paper sketch of the Super Mutant, the one with an axe replacing its left hand. "This one goes by the name, Splitter. And as you can see...it fashioned an axe to replace its hand. Another detail of their unusual level of ingenuity."

Louis came and took the picture to look at it more closely and chuckled. "Wow, talk about going mediaeval."

Ezrah shuffled some more of the papers around in his hands, running it through his mind why they would help. "I wouldn't force anyone here to take part in such a dangerous mission with little to go on. Let alone complete strangers. So why do this?"

"Because it's the right thing to do." Louis gave his simple and usual answer. He looked back to the rest of his friends. "Well, it's pretty clear Wayland wants to do this no matter what. But as before, I won't force any of you to do this either. If any of you want to sit this out, then that's fine."

A silence fell on the room, each person looking to each other as if they could tell their answer by thought. Victoria was the first to give her response and stood up. "You know, sometimes it's amazing how you make a life or death situation seem like no big deal. I'll come help."

"Same here." Joe muttered and slumped in his seat, already hating the idea. "You'll die if you go alone."

The rest soon offered their vote of support, all of them but Radcliffe. "That's good and all, but I didn't get out of Paradise's Raid just to go on a suicide mission."

Ezrah ignored him for a moment and looked at the strangers volunteering to help the settlement that he spent a year protecting. "I honestly don't know what to say, it's not often one comes across people like you. And I promise you will be rewarded for your efforts."

Radcliffe's attitude shifted to positive the moment he heard 'rewarded' for their effort. "On second thought, let's do this shit!" he slapped his hand on the table, causing everything on it to rattle.

"Subtle, Radcliffe, very subtle..." Doug remarked.

"This surely is an unprecedented change of pace." for once in a long time, Ezrah began to feel not only a ray of hope for the people he protected, but also the kindness in others. "One minute I'm thinking of ways just to survive the next day, and now I'm putting together a plan to end this nightmare so these people can have a future. That's why I left the Brotherhood to begin with."

"What can we do to help prepare for this fight?" Louis asked again.

"Due to this unexpected change, I'll need to rethink some plans. And I need to update everyone here as well." Ezrah placed the folder of papers back down on the table. "They need to know about this too. And I'm sure they want to know what's going on with the Super Mutant here, too."

"Still, let us give a hand. There might be something we can do." Inez raised her hand up again quickly. Her eyes fell on the open Power Armor standing across the room. "I can give that a tune up. Ever since I've heard of those things, I've wanted to get my hands on one!" her attempts to hide her eagerness began to easily fail.

Ezrah looked to his suit and placed a hand over his left shoulder and squeezed it. "Well...the left shoulder does hitch a lot. But have you handled anything like this?"

Inez stood up, already starting to select her tools. "I'm probably the best one for the job. My parents taught me everything I know, and they pretty much rebuilt Asimov from the ground up."

Asimov raised his hand with five fingers up and waved it lightly, showing one of the many examples of his remodel work.

Ezrah stood convinced. "Then by all means, please help. I'll move it to the work shop."

"Must be a real bitch to move that big heavy armor around all the time." Radcliffe spoke.

Ezrah turned his head back with an unamused look. "Not as much as you think. Spartan, defensive position!"

The Power Armor suddenly jerked and the panels closed up. The armor moved on its own and turned around to face them while raising its fist up in defense. The wanderers exclaimed ecstatically at the Power Armor not needing someone inside it.

"I've never heard of them doing that before!" Louis wanted to come up and get a closer look, but worried it might attack in response.

"One of the many perks of being a new Power Armor model." Ezrah chortled in his troat, remembering the first time the people of the settlement saw it move on its own. "It has several commands, including sentry mode, guard mode, and scout mode. You might think what's the point of having a person inside, but its abilities are limited. Think of it as being an extension of myself, and it only follows my voice commands."

"This is quite the advancement," Joe took out a smoke and placed it in his mouth. "What other tricks has the BOS been up to?"

"Again, that's classified. But I can assure it doesn't affect anyone in the Wasteland. Which, again, one of the reasons I left." Ezrah sighed heavily in his mind and looked back at the armor. "Spartan, stand down and follow." the armor did as command and kept itself at a reasonable distance. "I'll show you all around, we can fill in Hiromi and the others on the plan."

"Can you also promise Wayland's safety while we're here?" Chloe asked him, in case there was some people coming up with their own plans to attack him.

He thought about it for a moment, not entirely sure if he could honestly answer that. "I'll take care of everything. Just give everyone their space when he's around."

They all left the command room and began to tour of the Super-Duper mart. First was the back section where things like guns and machinery were fixed, ironically it was the section where home appliances and hardware was once shelved. Ezrah lead Inez and Asimov to a nearby table and deactivated his Power Armor for her to work in peace. The young Hispanic woman felt right at home surrounded by people tinkering away on their own projects.

He gave the quick rundown of where and how she could start opening his armor up to fix the shoulder hitch. He didn't know it from head to toe, even the advanced circuitry went over his head. But he watched the Brotherhood mechanics work on them enough times to at least get her in.

"I'll be back when you're done. So take your time on this, I'm sure you'll enjoy it very much." Ezrah said while stepping back for her to work.

"Oh, I plan to take my time." Inez grinned with a wrench in one hand and a screwdriver in the other.

"Hey, Asimov, please make sure she doesn't take it all apart." Louis called to the Assaultron, in case Inez got carried away. Which in all honesty believed she would if no one was around to monitor her.

"Oh, c'mon, I wasn't gonna take it _all_ apart." Inez spoke defensively.

Ezrah moved over to another table with something large on it, covered by a big tarp. "While we're on the subject of fixing things, would you mind giving this a look? Everyone else has tried but can't get it fixed." he grabbed the end of the tarp and pulled it off.

Inez gasped, excitement washing over again from what lie before her. A Gatling laser, one that she had always wanted to work on. Several of its parts laid near the main body of the weapon, showing that it had been worked on a few times. And all of them failed attempts at that. It's design was far more complex than the average mechanic in the Wasteland would know. Thankfully, Inez more than happily felt up to the task, having worked on very complicated machinery many times with her parents and Garry.

"A few months after I arrived here, the Super Mutants attacked one day and I ended up having a building collapse on me after they blew up the first floor." Ezrah placed his hand on the Gatling laser and pat it lightly. "I got out before the whole place could bury me, but the Gatling laser ended up damaged. I've tried to fix it myself with some of the others here but to no avail."

"Just let me work my magia on them." Inez cracked her knuckles. "First the Power Armor, and now a Gatling laser. This is turning out to be a good day after all."

The group left Inez and Asimov to work and proceeded to the next location. Another section of the mart that had been closed off and converted into a medical facility, once again the irony was that it used to be the pharmacy of the store. Inside the facility, the people from the fight earlier laid on beds and cots salvaged from hospitals and clinics. All of them were in stable condition with bandages wrapped on their wounds, most either knocked out by morphine or some form of iv drip pumping into their veins to take the pain away with doctors checking regularly.

Doug sat on an exam table with his foot raised up, a young doctor tending to his swollen ankle. She slathered a strange, yellowish gel around the swollen area with a small brush and letting it set for a few minutes before gathering the bandages. The farmer winced in pain from the sting and lowered his leg, placing his foot back on the cold linoleum floor.

"So, what's this suff suppose to be?" he asked, never seeing something like the yellowish gel before.

"You could call it a home remedy..." the doctor replied, getting the bandages ready. "If there's one good thing about this radioactive land, it has created all kinds of new herbs and plants for these kind of things."

Louis stood next to him, waiting for the doctor to finish. The rest waited outside with Wayland, figuring it was best the people recovering didn't see a Super Mutant while still in a half daze from the medicine. Cavall also waited outside with them simply because they didn't allow animals in the medical facility. But that didn't stop the large canine from standing on his hind legs and watching the two from the inside, happily panting away against the glass. Louis turned his attention back to Ezrah and Hiromi talking to each other from the other end of the room, and it seemed to get heated with each passing minute.

"No! This is a huge mistake!" Hiromi stated, pointing his finger at the floor. "Letting a Super Mutant stay here, we can't trust it!"

Ezrah raised his hand out in defense. "I know how you feel. All of you. But we have a prime opportunity to end this once and for all." he said, trying to make him understand the severity of the situation. "I'm not asking you to like or even trust the Super Mutant, but trust in me. And we need all the firepower we can get from anyone willing to help. Just give us time to put together a strike on the power plant."

Hiromi exhaled heavily through his nose and looked back at the door, seeing Wayland through the glass. "The very moment this is over, the very second...I want that _thing_ gone! I don't care if the people with it stay for a bit, but I want it out!" he turned to leave before saying something he might regret.

He soon found himself coming pass Louis and Doug, the doctor had started wrapping bandages tightly around his ankle. But he stopped and looked at the two with all kinds of mixed emotions in his face.

"Got something to say?..." Doug asked, stating the obvious.

"I think you people are damn fools to be traveling with that monster." he answered him. "One way or another, it will turn on you all."

Before he could even get one step away, Louis lashed out and grabbed him by the collar of his jacket, forcing him to turn back. "If you...or anyone else tries to make a move on Wayland, you're gonna have to deal with all of us." the Vault dweller sternly warned, gripping the jacket collar more tightly.

Hiromi tugged away from his hold and scoffed, marching off and out of the medical facility and slammed the door behind him while avoiding the eyes of everyone near. Silence struck the room, even the coughs of the patients seemed to cease as Doug noticed the doctor had stop her work for a moment before continuing.

Ezrah soon approached them, hands behind his back with the knuckles touching. "Please, don't judge him too harshly. He's been through a lot."

"I'm guessing he lost someone to the Super Mutants?" Louis asked, thinking it was the most obvious answer.

"Yes. His younger brother to be exact." Ezrah answered, taking a breath before continuing. "His name was, Haru. But I never met him because he was taken a month before I arrived. And then, two months later, we had our first major victory against the Super Mutants. We maneuvered them into a street where we set up a killing floor and slaughtered them all. It was the first time they had lost so many of their kin in one battle and gave everyone the morale boost needed."

"How does this connect with his brother?..." Doug asked before another twinge of pain made him hiss.

"After the fight, we began stripping the Super Mutants of their weapons, ammo, and armor. No sense in letting valuable resources go to waste. Hiromi was searching around before screaming out in horror." Ezrah paused for a few moments, both to let it sink in and bring himself to continue. "Haru had a tattoo of two Brahmin skulls on his chest near his heart. I don't know if you all knew this, but a great deal of people from Asian decent face persecution even to this day since it's highly suspected the Chinese might've been the first to strike. But who can really say at this point? Needless to say, Hiromi and Haru were always very close. That's why he got the tattoo, a Brahmin is better with two heads as Hiromi's brother would say."

"We've actually heard of that." Louis interrupted for a moment. "And what's worse, people who aren't Asian don't even know there's a lot of different cultures to that race. Being Chinese or whatever is just a nationality."

"Indeed. Differences are only skin deep and they don't matter in this day and age anymore. Not that they should to begin with." Ezrah agreed before continuing. "As I was saying, Hiromi suddenly cried. He stood over a Super Mutant with a strange, dark gray and black distortion on its chest near the heart...just like his brother. Whatever it was, it wasn't natural for a Super Mutant to have."

Those words made Louis and Doug understand Hiromi a little better and his hatred for Super Mutants. "I feel for him, I really do." Louis spoke to break the silence. "But even so, humans can be just as bad, if not worse. But that doesn't mean you have to hate all of humanity. Wayland isn't like the rest."

"And I'm taking you at your word." Ezrah nodded to him. "Just please keep in mind of Hiromi's pain and reason for his distrust in your companion. Everyone here is doing all they can to hang on, you don't know how close they were to giving up before I taught them how to fight back better."

"So why stay here?" Louis asked, wanting to understand their commitment to the town.

"Because they have nowhere else to go. They all came from other settlements that either had to be abandoned or destroyed by attackers." Ezrah looked towards the medical room window and watched the people doing their tasks. "It's not often such a large group of people come together. And this town is greatly intact, they can even get water and power fully running once the Super Mutants are gone. It's a golden opportunity to get a piece of civilization back and have a good future."

"Then that's all the more reason to help." Louis smiled, thinking back home. "I come from a Vault, and Doug comes from a town near it. We all know what it's like to fight for our land and family."

"My father would always say, 'the land won't become fertile unless everyone pitches in'." Doug spoke just as the doctor finished. "Hey, how long is this gel gonna take to heal?"

"Shouldn't take long. Maybe a day or two. Just don't put any weight on it." the doctor answered while packing her things.

"A day or two?! I don't have that kind of time!" Doug groaned, rubbing the temple of his nose.

Louis placed a comforting hand on his shoulder. "Don't get so worked up. Just give it the night and we'll see what it's like in the morning."

"Speaking of which, I feel that it's best we do this attack tomorrow." Ezrah spoke to them. "Give us some time to rest and get ready. The Super Mutants will need to reorganize after today's attack. And until then, please make yourselves at home. We'll show you a place to sleep."

"We appreciate that, Ezrah. I'm sure we'll have a great night's rest." Louis thanked before they began leaving.

The doctor offered Doug a pair of crutches for him to finally walk on his own again as they headed out the medical facility and let Ezrah continue the tour of the Super-Duper mart and everything it had to offer.

()()()()()()()()()()()()()()

If anyone happened to come across the power plant, they would instantly feel a pang of dread and fear wash over. The place had been turned completely inside out by the Super Mutants who turned it into their den of macabre and nightmares. Guards stood at busted windows and patrolled on the outside, the rest were inside mulling about or growing restless with each passing day or finding some mindless game or task to keep themselves occupied. The one with the axe arm named Splitter and the surviving attackers arrived only minutes ago, and needless to say it was seething with rage.

The first thing Splitter did was scream and raise its arm up and brought it down on a set of pipes against a wall. And it continued with several more swings until the sliced pipes clattered onto the floor, leaving huge cuts in the concrete wall and a heaving Super Mutant panting for breath as its kin stood as far as they could away from its wrath.

But soon, the Super Mutants near it found themselves fearing something else. The dark halls only seemed to darken more as their leader came walking through, sending a chill down every spine that tried avoid its gaze. One thing made the leader stand out among the rest other than its well made armor and numerous scars on its body was a jagged piece of curved metal sticking six inches out of its forehead high above the right eye, earning the name, Demon. The wound around it had long since healed and scabbed over.

Splitter turned just in time to see its leader practically standing high above it. Up close, Demon's right eye gave an odd twitch every now and then. In fact its body always seemed to jerk or twitch every now and then or move awkwardly while walking, all thanks to the piece of metal sticking out of its head. Despite surviving the injury that would normally kill any living creature, Demon was left with a lot of neurological problems to its nervous system. Including even more unpredictable and volatile mood swings with its temper.

"You! You fail again, Splitter!" it accused, poking its thick finger into Splitter's chest. "You lose many of us again! Why should I keep you as my right hand?! Do you want to lose that too?!"

Splitter's right hand flinched to the side for a moment before answering. "The Metal Man showed up again! He always around! Always helping those weak humans! Everything go wrong since he came! We can't get to him!"

"That don't change the fact you ran again! Ran like coward!" Demon bellowed abruptly, any louder and the walls might have shook. Most of the other Super Mutants dashed off in fear of getting pulled into the middle of the fight. "That man is like a can of food! So rip that metal body open and take out what's inside!"

"Then you come and fight! Come help us kill him before other metal people show up!" Splitter spat out, the room went quiet after it said that.

The second in command received a hard shove to the chest, making it stumble back into the wall. Demon's anger practically burned with fire in its eyes. "I stay because I need to lead." it shoved Splitter again. "I stay because I overlook everything!" another shove. "So that we can have more of us made!" yet another hard shove. "And we will not let a metal man ruin everything! And you will not fail again or else!"

"Enough!" a strong and powerfully clear voice cut in between them.

The hall went quiet again as their attention went towards the one that spoke. Out from the darkness another Super Mutant stepped in, but not like any kind before. Its skin was pale as an albino, ghostly white with dark purple eyes focused and hard. Its dark blue veins could be visibly seen under the skin once up close to it. Everything about the albino Super Mutant showed it was far different from the rest besides its skin color. The long pants made of thick leather, boots with plates of metal, armor around its waist. The torso covered with a black leather shirt with no sleeves, and the forearms wrapped in gauntlets of welded metal and chains.

Demon's temper slid away for the moment as its attention turned to the new one. "Al...what do you want?" it asked with a deep growl in its throat.

"To see if you two could actually nag the peeling paint off the wall." Al answered sarcastically, knowing they wouldn't catch on. "And I thought you assigned some kin to fixing the lights in these dark halls." he pointed up to the ceiling. "All they have to do is screw in some lightbulbs. It's not that hard."

Demon's finger suddenly pointed towards him. "You don't order me around! I give the orders! And we don't need to make this place all fancy!"

Al frowned deeply but kept his anger from surfacing. Instead, he walked up and got eye to eye with the leader. "We need this place to be in as top shape as possible. _We_ need this place to supply power to the chambers to make more Super Mutants! And that includes having as little problems to deal with!" he soon stood almost chest to chest with Demon, the tip of the metal almost touching his forehead. "So, if you would kindly...go over the tasks I have laid out so we can keep this place running like clockwork and increase our chances to keep this power plant working as long as possible..." even though he didn't show any sign of anger, his voice had a cold sting to it, showing he wouldn't tolerate anymore delays.

Demon seemed to finally back down. For the moment. It marched off before finally snapping into a blind rage. Splitter soon followed right behind it, giving Al a quick sneer before continuing to follow its leader at its side. Al huffed in annoyance and began following them, he still had a long list to go over with them and an even longer time to get them in the mood to do it.

The three Super Mutants marched through the power plant with no particular direction at the moment. However, Al kept making a mental list of the things in need of work. The ceilings dripped all kinds of liquids, cracks on the walls seemed to get bigger by the day, loose cables hung and sparked every now and then, garbage and filth littered the floor, and an annoying smell that no one could truly get used to clung in the air.

"The humans are whining for more food!" Splitter spoke as they entered an open area filled with Super Mutants mulling about with meaningless tasks to pass the time. "It's getting annoying!"

"Then feed them. And give them more water as well." Al suggested with a scoff.

Demon suddenly stopped and turned sharply to him. "We are not here to take care of them like pets! They hungry all the time because they're weak!"

Al rolled its eyes but held his tongue for a moment while thinking of a better way to convince Demon. "How many times must I explain it? We need to keep the humans well fed and hydrated. The better shape they're in, the better chances they will turn into strong Super Mutants once exposed to FEV." he pointed down at the floor, deep below where the holding cells were. "We are sitting on over two hundred humans just waiting to be turned into Super Mutants. Which brings us back to what I was talking about earlier with keeping this place maintained. The chambers need to be in working order!"

"I know they need to be in working order!" Demon roughly defended. "But we don't have enough food for them! And anything else isn't good enough!"

"If by 'not good enough', you mean inedible for them. Rotting carcasses and insects aren't exactly good for anyone." Al stated.

Splitter's fist clenched up, it hated the way Al spoke, it couldn't stand being talked down on by anyone that wasn't Demon. "We wouldn't need to waste time looking for food for humans if your science man wouldn't take so long! Most of those humans have been here for weeks! And our...uh...our..."

"Gatherers..." Al corrected before they ended up waiting all day.

"Yeah! Gatherers!" Splitter said as if having a brilliant realization. "Our gatherers have been reporting in less and less! They go too far out or go off as their own pack! Even our gatherers in update net pork haven't contacted us in weeks either!"

Al groaned and rubbed the side of his temple. "For the love of- it's New York. Upstate New York to be exact. And that will all be irrelevant once the 'science man' completes his project."

"Project! Project! Project! That's all he ever tells!" Demon growled and waved its fists in the air. "You promised us five years ago that if we helped, we would create more powerful Super Mutants! We deal with human telling us what to gather! What to do! Talking all fancy! We want more of us! We-" it suddenly began convulsing as a burning pain surged through its skull near the metal shard and began to spread. Its eyes twitched and placed its big palms to the sides of the head to make it go away.

The right corner of Al's lip turned upward for a moment before reaching into his side pouch and pulled out a capped vial of greenish liquid and held it up. "I know you have to fight your every instinct to not hurt or kill the human. I know you feel sick to your stomach knowing that he walks around freely doing as he pleases." the Overlord eyed the vial as if it was a bottle of water after being stuck in the desert for days. The albino began to slowly twirl it in his fingers before holding it out. "But remember this...you'd be dead by now from that piece of metal sticking out of your skull." he withheld saying the word, empty. "It's thanks to his medicine you've lived and grown smarter over the years. And all he asks is a little more patience. Trust me, we're all gonna get what we want in the end..."

Demon took the vial and carefully pulled the cap off. It had crushed several vials in the past thanks to its big fingers. In one swig it swallowed it all and even smacked its lips to a new flavor. "It taste different than before..."

"He added some strawberry extract for flavor to help it go down better. Like?..."

Demon just wiped its lip and handed the vial back. Its headache going away as if it was never there. "We'll get the humans more food and clean water. But you tell that human to get the chambers ready. We're losing too many of us thanks to that metal man. We need more of us soon."

"We'll be ready soon. If not by tomorrow." Al put the vial away and began turning to leave. "Just be patient and go about your day." he started walking and waited until he was out of hearing range. "Which is just you sitting on your ass on your little throne..."

The albino Super Mutant began his walk back to the lab, passing the others and paying them no mind. Trying any form of interaction with them was futile and often left him with his own headaches. All of them were simple minded brutes, if they weren't talking about how weak and pathetic humans are, they obsessed over weapons or ate like pigs at the trough. Except pigs didn't stuff their faces with raw bloody meat.

Al passed an open area with a production floor below, he watched the Super Mutants for a few minutes with contempt for their crude ways. The floor acted as a place for them to organize and fix their weapons, although Al wouldn't call it fixing and more like banging and clumping things together. It made the albino wonder how they could ever be a threat to anyone without killing themselves all the time with their heavily worn and torn weapons.

The other thing that annoyed Al is how they used the floor as a very crude and unsanitary medical facility. If it could even be called that. He watched as the ones who were injured earlier in the fight tend to their wounds by using dirty or blood soaked rags as bandages and duct tape to keep them in place or any form of alcohol to clean their wounds. And an even more crude method of digging the bullets out by using any thin and slim pieces of metal as primitive implements or simply squeezed them out like popping a zit. The air had a sickly smell of burning Super Mutant flesh, they used hot irons to sear the wounds close with a symphony of screams.

Al sneered again in disgust and continued on, ascending several floors until reaching the top level. At the end of dim hall laid a special room, one with a heavily reinforced metal door with a number of locks and even a key panel next to it. Al came up and typed in the code to unlock it. The door buzzed and the locks clicked open and went in and shut the door behind.

Inside held a laboratory, one that was almost impossible to find in the Wasteland. Tables of chemistry sets bubbling with many colors of strange and dangerous liquids flowing through a network of glass tubes into many different beakers resting on Bunsen burners. Another section was littered with equipment meant to analyze genetics and DNA, racks of petri dishes held an endless variety of samples and other weird bacteria and viral cultures growing in them, several fridges contained hundreds of samples and vials put away for tests later. Half of the fridges were for labs, and the other half normal fridges found in homes. Another section had seven terminals scrolling endlessly with text, all of it that would go over anyone's head. Only the best and brightest of biologists would ever understand. Countless holotapes littered the table, all of them containing years worth of information with labels that only the scientist knew what each numbered holotape contained.

Al stopped for a moment and turned his head around to look at the guard near the door. It stood stiff and still as a statue, a Super Mutant type not found from any form of FEV. Its skin was dark green with a hue of black and thick orange veins that looked like roots could be seen pulsing under its skin. The shoulders were massive and broad, far more broad than any other Super Mutant with long arms and fists clutched tightly near the knees. It wore simple black slacks that had a kind of plastic look to it with black slip on shoes of the same material. Its neck was short and thick, and its eyes had a vague empty look with the irises very dim in color.

Al slowly held his hand out until it was inches from the unknown Super Mutant's face. He began waving his hand back and forth, expecting some kind of reaction from it. But the Super Mutant did nothing, its eyes never flinched and its stretched lips never stopped baring its teeth.

"You know they're not blind." a voice suddenly spoke from the corner of the room. "Their eyes adjust to different levels of light and dark..."

The albino turned away from the abnormal and looked to the man coming in on a rolling chair. "Well, these defects are creepy, and standing around all day gets frustrating to look at."

The rolling chair came to a stop near the row of terminals. A slim man, wearing a pressed lab coat and normal clothing that was the common fashion of a scientist, including a pocket protector and very nice loafers he kept clean. His skin was pasty from lack of sunlight over the years. And even when he went out it was only to the roof for awhile for some air. His hair was black and a little slick and pulled into a small ponytail with several strands hanging limply in front of his face. Dark bags lined under his bluish-green eyes that were still alert and focused despite the lack of sleep.

"Ogres, my dear Al. I call them ogres. I find it fitting." the scientist gestured to the other seven ogres standing at the corners and walls of the large room while spinning around to the third terminal to type on it for a bit. "I'm guessin' you got done giving that meathead Demon the weekly medicine?"

Al held up the empty vial. "Yes, although it seemed to not be a fan of the strawberry flavor."

"Hmpf. If that's how it feels, perhaps I'll add some coconut flavor next time. I hate coconut..." he rolled away from the terminal and to the genetic table and placed a petri dish under a microscope before looking into its lenses. "How are the next subjects fairing? I know the conditions are miserable at best..."

"I checked down there some time ago. Other than the usual begging for their lives or trying to break out of their cages, they're doing fine for the most part, Thaddeus..." Al reported.

"It's Dr. Scharp when I'm working." Thaddeus corrected through gritted teeth, turning away from the scopes. "I prefer to be professional with my work."

"Always taking everything so seriously." Al huffed and moved forward to where Thaddeus sat. "But know this, Demon is growing more restless by the day. It already hates the fact that you are making demands with it and its right hand mutant, Splitter. Even with everything we've done, they show their gratitude with impatience and threats."

"They won't matter once I complete my research." Thaddeus rolled away from the genetic table to the chemistry table. "This power plant can burn to the ground for all I care. And the Super Mutants and my next batch of test subjects are all just a means to an end."

"You've been researching for years, even before we convinced these imbeciles to let us work without interference. Or attempts on your life." Al turned his attention to the far end of the room where Thaddeus slept and ate.

A long table rested in one corner with a messy cot and side drawer. The table had piles of papers with notes scribbled all over and a desk lab that was still on. The albino's eyes fell on a strange device with a rectangular body laid on the table, creases lining the outside suggested it open like a briefcase. And every time it started beeping, Thaddeus would freeze up in fear, even when he was in the middle of something.

"Have they...contacted recently?" Al asked, and as expected, the scientist froze for a moment.

Thaddeus placed the two beakers he was holding back in their slots and sat silent for a moment. He stood up and spun the chair around and sat back down with the backrest in front. He crossed his arms over the top of the cushion and gave off a sigh.

"Not for the past two weeks. Which is unusual for him." Thaddeus picked up another vial and began slowly pouring it into an open beaker sitting on a burner. "I suppose he knows I'm busy. Last time I reported in, I told him I was on the verge of a breakthrough and need some time."

"And again, you've been saying that for years as well." Al bluntly stated.

"And if it takes more years again, then so be it!" Thaddeus' hand slapped the table, rattling everything on it. "I am on the verge of completing my work! I'm not just some cog in the machine, I am a big part of this grand plan! I've lost so manycolleagues, so many years, and so many people I cared about! And I'm not gonna let a bunch of mutated neanderthals screw it up!"

Al huffed in his throat. "Ironic you should say that considering your research involves Super Mutants to begin with."

"And, again, they are just a means to an end. Those inferior byproducts of the gene pool are all my test subjects. Why else do you think I've been dosing up that brain skewered Demon?"

"Speaking of which, I believe we might have reached the end of that experimentation. It was a short trip."

"I figured as much." Thaddeus spoke while rolling over to one of the fridges and took out a yellow metal cylinder around the size of a fire extinguisher with two tube ports on the top and bottom. He rolled back to the table and placed it down gently.

He screwed open a side hatch and stood back for a moment to let the foul smell of strange chemicals brewing in it to waft away. He grabbed a beaker on a burner filled with a blue chemical and poured it into the cauldron. The black chemical inside started to turn into a greenish color and began to boil. Quickly, he rolled back over to one of the fridges and took out a vial of a genetic sample that was reddish in color and zoomed back to the cylinder and popped the cap off. Gently, the reddish sample slowly slid out like gel and plopped into the bubbling batch and closed the lid shut tightly as the chemicals began to brew.

"There! I get to test my next major experiment, and Demon gets a new thrall of Super Mutants. Everyone wins." Thaddeus smiled with pride. "Just got to let this stuff stew for the night before hooking it up to the chambers."

"And will we finally be able to leave? I grow tired of being surrounded by these brutes that devolve by the day." Al asked as he picked up the canister and looked it over carefully.

Thaddeus switched around in his seat and leaned back, a finger and thumb under his chin. "We'll see. I'm waiting for him to contact me again so we can discuss the next part of our plan. I just don't want him to send his messenger...that freak creeps me right out!"

"What would you do if he was standing in this room right now and you didn't know?..." Al asked, a playful grin starting to spread on his face.

Thaddeus ignored him and carried the canister to the fridge and placed it in to keep it stable through the night. He looked at it one more time before closing the door. Years of his work was on the line right now, and it was still only another big step towards his true goal. A goal where they could change everything all around. His eyes bore into the fridge, almost finding it funny that his work and research was chilling out before his tired mind focused again.

"Soon. Very soon, we will reach our dreams. _I_ will reach my dreams..."


	34. RAMPAGING WRATH

**CHAPTER 34: RAMPAGING WRATH.**

" _It doesn't take a hero to order men into battle. It takes a hero to be one of those men who goes into battle." -Norman Schwarzkopf._

With a few strong gulps, Radcliffe finished his beer, and his eighth one at that, and placed the bottle down on the bar and raised his finger to order another one. The bartender frowned before reaching into the bar fridge and took out another bottle, popped the cap off with a bottle opener and placed it in front of Radcliffe. The former Raider snatched it up and already gulped more than a quarter of it, soon to be joining the other empties near him.

Before he could finish his beer, Louis came up from behind with a frustrated frown. "I should have known you would run off to the bar. We're about to face a small army of Super Mutants tomorrow, and the last thing you need is a hangover."

Radcliffe belched lightly and sighed. "Which is why I'm drinking." he said before another belch escaped. "This is how I get myself in the mind set before a big fight. And since we're about to go against said Super Mutants...I need all the _encouragement_ I can get."

Louis shook his head disapprovingly. "I'm amazed you haven't killed yourself with alcohol poisoning..."

Radcliffe choked on his beer and looked at the bottle. "Alcohol can poison you?!"

Most of the wanderers and Ezrah came into the bar area. And just like the workshop and medic bay, the bar area was once the section of the Super-Duper mart where alcoholic beverages were shelved. And a very big section at that, which made one think what was in constant demand before the Great War.

"I see you've made yourself at home in the bar." Ezrah spoke to him from behind. "But keep in mind...you still have to pay for those drinks. They aren't part of the rewards."

Once more, Radcliffe choked on his beer and looked to the bartender waiting for his caps. Three caps each. Before he asked for another drink, Radcliffe began fishing around in his side pouch for the caps. "And while you're at it, give me a bottle of vodka..."

Ezrah turned his attention away from Radcliffe and back to the others. "And good news. We managed to put together a room for you all. It helps that Asimov doesn't need a bed since he's a robot."

"Thanks for that. I hope it's not too much of an issue with everyone." Louis didn't want them to be looked at as special guests.

"No, it's perfectly fine." Ezrah waved his hand up. "We have plenty of beds to spare."

"Is it because a lot of people have died?..." Radcliffe asked just as he finished his beer. The room went silent, all eyes of offense and disgust looking right at him. "What?! What's with the looks?!"

"Radcliffe! Will you just shut the fuck up already?!" Joe whispered through dark gritted teeth.

Ezrah quickly spoke to end the awkward moment. "Uh, why don't we go to the mess hall and eat? Can't fight on an empty stomach."

Before the mood of the room became even more uneasy, the wanderers agreed and followed Ezrah to the mess hall as Radcliffe paid for his beers and took the bottle of vodka, not wasting time by twisting the cap off and drinking as he walked.

The mess hall rested at the far right corner of the store, which was once the eating area for shoppers, and most of the cookware and kitchen equipment had survived and been fixed up and cleaned with more equipment brought in to help feed everyone in the settlement.

The wanderers filled their trays as one was sent off to Inez so she wouldn't forget to eat while elbows deep in a Power Armor suit. And despite sitting at the back of the mess hall, all eyes were on them with whispers and murmurs mixed in. Needless to say, it made their dinner a bit tense since it was obvious most of their concern was on Wayland.

"So is it me...or are all eyes on us?" Chloe asked, despite knowing the answer.

"We can't blame them for being concerned about Wayland. And we're just strangers passing through." Joe said while picking through his mixed vegetables. "Just give them space as Ezrah said."

Ezrah sat at the end of the table, slowly going through his meal. "If don't mind me asking, how long have you all been traveling together?"

Doug paused for a moment and looked to him. "Well...it started with me and Louis. And then Joe came along, then Victoria, followed by Chloe. Cavall, then Wayland. Then Inez and Asimov, and Radcliffe despite much concern."

Radcliffe stopped chugging his vodka and frowned at the farmer.

"So all in all, a few months from beginning and up until now." Doug finished.

"I see." Ezrah nodded before turning his eyes to Louis and looked over his Vault jumpsuit. "And I understand you came from a Vault, but why do you wear your jumpsuit? Doesn't it make you stand out?"

Louis tensed for a moment, he noticed Doug had the same look on his face but no one noticed him. Everyone else started to have the same question on their minds, even Cavall looked up from his meal with a curious look. "Well...I guess the reason why I still wear a jumpsuit is...I've pretty much worn one all my life. I guess I just wouldn't be the same without wearing it." he said with a bashful chuckle and hoped that would deter their questions.

"Hmm, I understand." Ezrah nodded. "I also feel the same with my Power Armor. I've worn it for so long for hours a day that I sometimes forget I'm in it."

Louis sighed in his mind and continued with his dinner. "By the way, how did it go with the leaders of this settlement? Did you get their approval on attacking the power plant?"

"Not exactly. The idea of using Wayland to infiltrate was...mixed...to say the least." Ezrah answered him. "They're talking it over even now, and just so you all know, Hiromi has a say on the vote too."

"Then I hope they see reason and allow it." Victoria spat disapprovingly. "We want to help, but we can't wait around forever just for them to come up with a decision."

"She's right. We have to keep moving." Chloe said next.

Ezrah blinked in confusion. "I'm sorry, is there some place you need to be?"

The wanderers realized their mistake *and looked to each other to see who had a good excuse. Radcliffe looked around at them, his face already redden from drinking so much. "Oh, that's right! We're trying to-"

A swift kick to his shin from Doug silenced him. The Raider jostled in his seat but didn't show any signs that he was kicked. They filled him on what Louis and Doug set out to do by following the signal, and told him they didn't want too many people to know about it unless they could be fully trusted. It was even difficult at first for Chloe to explain that she was a Synth out of worry on what he might have heard if stories of the Institute had reached that far and somehow discovered she was one by accident. But thankfully Radcliffe didn't seem to mind either way, or even understand it, no matter how much she tried to explain it as simply as possible to him.

"We're just traveling." Joe spoke to distract Ezrah. "It's a personal thing for all of us."

"I understand." Ezrah dropped the subject and continued his meal before it got cold. "But anyway, if we're lucky, they will vote to allow this mission. They have to consider how this will affect our already limited resources just to get a look at the Super Mutants' den. And considering it's a power plant, there's no telling what the radiation levels are like."

"That's what my Pip-Boy is for." Louis pulled back his left coat sleeve and showed the device. "This will let us know if there's any radiation and even detect how far it is."

"Good to know. That will come in handy." Ezrah looked at the rare device that was even rarer to see in the Wasteland.

"Then we better get a good night's rest. It won't do us good to be exhausted." Doug said, looking down at his ankle and hoping, if not praying it will be better by then.

()()()()()

Inez smiled with joy as she and Asimov placed the shoulder piece back on the Power Armor. Asimov held it in place as Inez began to bolt it back in with a power tool. She wiped the sweat from her forehead with a clean cloth and looked over her work to make sure everything was back in place despite the temptation of opening it all up and seeing what was inside. But worried it might have some kind of internal defense.

She went over to the table where the Gatling laser rested and began taking inventory on what she might need. It was no wonder any of the fixers could repair it, the parts are just as rare as the weapon itself. "Now let's see what we got." Inez began. "I'm gonna have to be careful with this. I doubt they will have replacement parts laying around." she picked up one of the rectangular parts that was supposed to be inside the main body. "I suppose it's a good thing this is one of those models without the battery pack to power it."

"Yes, I believe those are early models of Gatling lasers, but they still stayed in service because of their firepower. Even as newer models were made." Asimov nodded while coming to offer assistance.

"This country's war machine never stopped growing, even in so called peace times." Inez looked over the Gatling laser's body, it had armor plating to protect the insides like the rotating barrels against the elements. "Even this has been modified as well. Those Brotherhood people sure do have the good stuff." she fiddled around with the back trigger handle and noticed another button and pressed it to see what it would do. At the end under the barrel, a red laser beam shot out but didn't cause any damage. "Would you look at that, a laser pointer. That's handy."

"He's taken good care of his equipment." Asimov noted as he watched her get to work.

Inez worked for a little while until her dinner was brought in and told the person who delivered it to thank the others. She was quickly done and continued her work, taking precious care because of the delicate parts that might be irreplaceable if broken.

The hours ticked by until almost the entire settlement had turned in with guards beginning their nightly patrols. The rooms were set up with sections for families, another for those recovering from injuries, and another for the guards to rest and keep their gear and weapons organized and respond quickly to any threats.

The wanderers were given a spacious enough room that was closed off. They each picked a bed and started stripping down to their underclothes and placed their weapons and backpacks on standing coat hangers. The door to their room gently flew open as Asimov helped Inez walk in, she had worked herself to exhaustion and didn't get the Gatling laser fully fixed.

"Is she gonna be okay?" Victoria asked as Asimov helped Inez lay down on her bed.

"She just worked too hard, but she will be fine." Asimov answered and started taking off her boots.

"Did she get everything fixed?" Joe asked.

"The Power Armor is repaired, but she needs time on the Gatling laser. It proved to be difficult because of its damage. Inez always had a habit of losing track of time when she's focused on her work." the Assaultron looked down to her with concern that could be seen even in his visor. "I recall countless nights where I find her slumped over her work."

"And speaking of slumped..." Chloe looked over to Radcliffe's bed. He laid there with an arm over his eyes and sprawled out with the blankets over and under him, all tangled up from him tossing and turning. "He's gonna have quite the hangover in the morning."

On the outside, Ezrah approached their room door with some much needed news and noticed it was slightly cracked open. His hand raised up to knock before a strange topic was heard.

"Louis, are you sure this is a good idea to fight someone else's battle?" Doug asked him.

"It's not a matter of being a good or bad idea. It's the right thing to do." Louis responded.

Ezrah didn't want to eavesdrop, but at the same time he knew there was something very odd about them and didn't believe they were traveling just for personal reasons.

"But once again we're getting sidetracked and no closer to the end of the signal on your Pip-Boy." Doug went on. "We've only been back on the trail for a few days. For all we know, it's too late to find out what it is."

"Nothing has changed since we started, it's still broadcasting even now. I just checked!" he held the device up to show the signal direction on the screen.

"What are they talking about?..." Ezrah said to himself.

Victoria stood up and got between them. "Okay, let's calm down and not get into an argument this late at night." she said. "We'll help get rid of the threat and be on our way."

"Yeah, sure, we face armies of Super Mutants all the time." Joe grumbled before laying back in his bed.

"Sarcasm aside, I have to admit we're not making record time. And there's the issue of still not knowing how far it is." Chloe said, sitting on the edge of her bed.

"That's why I'll finish this quick." Wayland spoke out. "I'll stop all of them if I have to and we can continue."

"Whoa, hold on, big guy." Louis waved his hands out as if to stop him from leaving. "You don't have to do this alone. Let's just take this one step at a time before we make any big leaps against them."

Ezrah figured he heard enough and waited a minute before knocking on the door to announce his presence. He walked in and closed the door behind him. "I have news..."

"Well don't keep us waiting." Doug said while sitting up.

He stood straight with his hands behind his waist. "They decided to allow the mission tomorrow. We'll take a group of ten and scout the power plant. And as planned, Wayland will go in as one of them and find out as much as he can and what their plans are. If he's still up to it."

Wayland nodded and stood from his bed. "I'll do it."

"Then I bid you all a good night. Rest well." Ezrah said, he wanted to ask what they were talking about from before, yet decided to not get into their business. Old habits from the Brotherhood and their endless need to find prewar tech and info.

Soon they were under the covers and fast asleep, and they would need it for the battle to come.

April 8/2296

Morning came, the settlement was abuzz with preparation, gathering weapons and ammo and armor. Even the wanderers were allowed to get what they needed as far as ammo and supplies. Ezrah made sure that everyone else continued their usual guard duty and that the settlement was on lockdown until further notice.

Back in the wanderers' room, Louis watched Doug as he began to slowly stand up. He put weight down on his ankle and winched a few moments later as a dull pain shot up and slowly flopped back on the bed.

Louis crossed his arms and hummed. "Still hurting a bit? Probably best if you sit this one out."

"Are you kidding?" Doug said in disbelief, almost standing back up. "We need as many of us as we can get! I can handle the pain, I work my family farm all year round. I've had worse!"

"Except you're not fighting for your life on the farm." Louis pointed out. "And it's not like I'll be alone. Everyone else and a group of Ezrah's people will be coming. And for now this is a recon as he said, we're not looking for a fight."

"So then what am I supposed to do?" Doug asked while laying back on his bed.

"You can just take it easy until we get back." Victoria suggested, she came in while putting her long red hair into a big bun.

"Speaking of Doug staying behind," Asimov approached, carrying some bulletproof vests and handing it out to the two. "I want Inez to stay behind, she still doesn't have that much combat experience. And this would be too big of a leap."

"Hmm, that might be for the best." Louis agreed while throwing the vest on before getting his trench coat. "And she still hasn't fixed the Gatling laser. I get the feeling she's not the kind of person to leave a job unfinished."

"You have no idea..." Asimov nodded.

"Then I'll talk to her about it. She's actually back in the repair shop anyway." Victoria said before leaving the room.

()()()()

Ezrah entered his armor and raised his left arm up. With a few rotations, he tested to see if the hitch was gone. "Amazing! I don't fell the pinch at all." he complemented. "I can't thank you enough, Inez. It was starting to drive me crazy, and I was worried it might have gotten worse."

"It was actually not that big of a deal." Inez spoke with a smile. "Turns out one of the support rods of the frame was a little bent and getting caught in the gears. So I took it out and straighten it with a press machine."

"I never would have guessed that." Ezrah said before the panels flipped open and stepped back out. "Anyone would be lucky to have your skills, the mechanics at the Brotherhood would be jealous."

Victoria soon entered the room and found Inez. After a few minutes, Inez ended up agreeing to stay, despite many protests and went back to work on the Gatling laser while mumbling her frustrations in Spanish. Hiromi soon had his people, five men and women, ten in all as offered since their able-bodied people who could fight were already limited. He stood in front of them and gave the quick rundown of the plan, and to stay close with Ezrah in the lead. The former BOS man stepped back into his Power Armor, got his modified laser rifle and a large pouch of microfusion cells that was fitted to attach to his waist as if it was apart of the armor.

Inez came by and gave Asimov a tight hug around his body. "You better be safe out there. And no funny ideas this time if you know what I mean." she shot him a firm look.

"I promise you, I will fight just as hard for myself as I would for you." Asimov held his hand up in assurance.

Doug slowly walked up to his friends, this time with one crutch, and stopped for a moment with his sprained ankle raised. He watched the people finish their preparations and slowly hobbled over to a long table where people gathered supplies and ammo and spotted Chloe picking up some plasma cartridges for her weapons.

"Hey," he spoke plainly to get her attention. "Almost ready to leave I see."

Chloe stopped and looked to him. "Yeah, I just getting a few more plasma cartridges." she said. "I heard you're not coming..."

Doug frowned and looked down at his ankle. "Yeah, my ankle is still hurting. Guess I'll hang back and...I don't know...help Inez if she needs it."

She threw her combat helmet on and started securing the strap under her chin. "Just take care of your ankle until we get back. Hopefully it won't take all day."

"I hope not." Doug pulled up a nearby chair and sat down. "Just promise me you'll keep an eye on Louis. You know how he gets when others are in danger..."

"That won't be a problem. I know Louis can get a little too protective." Chloe said before walking off to join the others.

"Also..." Doug suddenly spoke, their eyes meeting. "Take care of yourself too."

Chloe gave a smile and held up her thumb before going off to meet up with everyone else.

Ezrah stood in his armor, laser rifle held firmly in hands before giving the wanderers and Hiromi's squad the signal to move out. In minutes they reached the closed off gate as it started to open for them, the people outside wished them well and to come back alive. Ezrah saw Sid and his friends in the crowd, waving to him as if he was a knight about to go on a crusade, which in a way wasn't too far from the truth. The other thing the people were glad to see was Wayland leave, the Super Mutant could see it in their eyes as he walked out the gate. And most of them no doubtfully hoped he didn't come back.

Once the gates slammed shut and the guards took their positions on top, Louis went beside Ezrah with Cavall padding along side him. "So how long will this walk to the power plant take?"

"Little more than three or four hours if we walk at a steady pace." Ezrah answered as he looked at his helmet's HUD. He used its tracking software to make a map readout of the distances he traveled in the town. One of the many benefits of a new Power Armor. "We'll move cautiously in case there are some Super Mutants out on patrol. Hopefully their loss from yesterday will keep them from attacking. For awhile."

"That is unless Wayland's theory pans out and they are somehow making more Super Mutants there." Joe pointed out. "For all our sakes, I hope he's wrong."

"Same here." Ezrah nodded to him. "From what our studies show, new Super Mutants take some to time to readjust to their transformation. Kinda like being a newborn."

"You guys can talk about that stuff all you want, but can you keep it down?..." Radcliffe grumbled while rubbing the side of his head with two fingers. "I got a fucking headache."

"You mean a hangover from drinking too much." Asimov corrected him.

"Don't you have a mute button somewhere?" Radcliffe glared back at him.

"Try and find it. I welcome the attempt." Asimov replied coldly.

Victoria quickly got in between them. "Save it for the enemy. We got to work together."

"Well said, Victoria." Chloe complemented her.

"Then enough talking already." Hiromi said as he walked forward with his squad tailing behind. "We've wasted enough time as it is." he stopped quickly and gave Wayland a deadly look before moving forward again.

Wayland sighed and went over to Louis and Joe, not wanting to be alone in the group. Ezrah took the lead, standing in the front like a great shield. Something that he always believed the Brotherhood of Steel should have been in the first place.

()()()()()()()()()()

Demon stood in its personal room, which was once the main office for a boss of the power plant long ago. It looked out the cracked and dust covered window with a furious frown, scratching at the scabbed over skin around the metal shard sticking out of its head. Demon's mood was shifting again from frustrated to angry, there was no telling where its mood would fall next.

"Not right..." it said while glaring out the dusty window. "It's not right! It not right at all!" its fist collided with the wall, shattering the already cracked paint and left a deep indent in the wall near the window. "Not right! Not right! Not right!"

It shouted between each punch, the wall shook and the indent got deeper and bigger and moments away from busting through to the outside. More cracks spread across the window, tiny pieces fell off while some panes just fell out.

Splitter quickly burst into the room, its door long gone. "Demon! What is wrong?!" it asked, about to raise its axe arm up in defense.

"It not right! That's what's wrong!" Demon answered as its fist stayed stuck in the deep crack for a moment. "The humans! The humans fight back and win for too long! Humans are supposed to be weak! We are strong! They fight back and kill more of us for too long!"

"But the science man said he make more of us. He said we can make more today!" Splitter said, trying to reason with its deranged leader.

"That's not good enough! The humans need to learn their place!" Demon reached for a nearby empty desk crumbling from age and picked it up over its head. The desk went flying through the air and splintered into pieces once it smashed against the wall. "We are the future of this world! And the humans should be running scared from us!"

Demon threw its fists up and bellowed, its scream echoed down the halls. It huffed and seethed with anger, the arms hanging limply at its side. But just as quick as its anger, Demon's mood shifted to that of a twisted smile. Splitter knew this mood shift all too well as it stepped back, it was the mood when Demon came up with something insane and dangerous. And considering how big it was smiling, Splitter felt a chill down its spine.

"And we will make them fear us! Once we destroy their home!" Demon said, its right eye twitching.

"We can't attack their home! It too well defended!" Splitter tried to reason, despite knowing it was pointless.

"Follow me! You're slow to the details." Demon said while brushing past Splitter and chuckled. "Perhaps the scientist should make you special medicine too..."

The two moved down several flights of stairs until reaching the loading dock of the power plant. It was mostly dark and very large to store materials, and any leftover materials from before the war had long been taken by either scavengers or the Super Mutants once they moved in.

Demon found itself standing in front of eight other Super Mutants mulling about with pointless activities and even some old board games. Their clothes were made of animal pelts, from mole rats to Brahmin skins and worn as if they were trophies from a grand hunt. They stood at attention once seeing their leader approaching.

"Demon, what bring you here?" the one wearing Brahmin skin asked, trying to hide its nervousness.

Demon grinned, baring its horrid yellow teeth. "I want you to unleash Wrath! Take it to the human settlement and kill them all! Burn it to the ground!"

The eight mutants looked to each other, even they knew Demon was well known for sudden mood shifts and irrational plans and commands. A minute passed until one of them stepped forward, wearing a pelt made of feral dogs with the faces still attached and shoulder pads made of mirelurk shells.

"But, Demon, we still haven't fully tamed Wrath. If it gets out of control, we won't be able to bring it back!"

"You all call yourselves tamers! So deal with it then!" Demon yelled with its finger pointing hard. "Take half of you and attack the human settlement."

Splitter grumbled to itself, it knew once Demon got like this there was no stopping it. "We shouldn't act so recklessly, Demon. Maybe we should talk to Al and the scien-"

The Super Mutant suddenly found itself hoisted up in the air, feet dangling more than a foot off the floor and Demon's eyes burning into it like the fires of Hell. "I do not need their permission to do a damn thing!" it said through clenched teeth that threatened to break. "I am the leader here! Whatever I say, goes! Don't ever forget that!"

Splitter came falling back to the floor, feet landing with a thud as the other eight tamers knew their was no point in arguing anymore as Demon looked to the other end of the room. A wall made of metal sheets rested at the end, the thickness of each welded piece varied, as well as the sizes and shapes. Some looked very new while others were rusted to the point of being brittle enough for a single tap to break it. Long metal rods and I-beams held the wall up with chains strung across for added support and a concrete base that was poorly molded. The only way in and out was a tall double door that almost reached the top of the jagged wall. Large bars held the doors closed against what was on the other side.

Once up close, a heavy breathing could be heard, low and very disgruntled about its captivity. Something large and aggressive shifted around, testing the strength of the wall with light bumps. A few lights hanged above inside the walled cage, and the tiny holes in the metal wall allowed the lights to beam out, only to be shadowed by the being inside. It growled deeply, knowing the ones holding it were on the other side.

Demon came up and slammed its fist on the wall, and in moments the creature on the other side responded with its own wall rattling slam. The other Super Mutants reeled back, the tamers held long poles wrapped in cable and rubber with prongs on one end and car batteries powering the prods on the other end.

"Crush them all like bugs..." Demon hissed.

()()()()()()()()

Almost two hours went by for the wanderers and company. They remained quiet to not draw attention, and mostly because there was still an awkward air between the wanderers and the settlers since they still had a hard time fully trusting the odd mix of strangers with a Super Mutant in tow.

Radcliffe shifted around a lot during the walk, never staying close to anyone for long and sometimes getting on their nerves and scurrying off with a grin on his face. He looked over and saw that Wayland had a light frown across his face, racing with a million different thoughts and dashed up to see what was on his mind. "So tell me, what's up? You seem really tense."

"A lot of us could get hurt, or worse." Wayland answered without even looking his way. "So of course I'm very tense..."

"Yeah, about that," Radcliffe gave his chin a quick scratch. "Are you okay with infiltrating those Super Mutants? Your own kind and all? Even kill them if needed?"

"Humans kill each other all the time. Why should it be any different with Super Mutants?" Wayland answered.

Radcliffe reflected on that and hummed. "You have a very good point there. Still, I can't believe Super Mutants actually used to be humans. Kinda crazy..."

"Yes," Wayland frowned deeply. "It is..."

Louis and Ezrah scouted ahead of the group to get a better lay of what was ahead. "So how much longer 'til we get to the power plant?" the Vault dweller asked him.

Ezrah came to a stop, his armored footsteps thudding hard on the ground. "Not much longer. Another hour or so. But it's best that we keep a slow pace in case there are patrols in the area. We're heading deeper into their territory with each step."

"Yeah, I can see it in everyone's faces." Louis looked back to Hiromi and his group. All of them held their guns tight, paranoid of every shadow and corner they came across. It was pretty much the first time they had ever gone this far into Super Mutant land. "I'm surprised they volunteered for this. I want nothing more than for all of them to have a good life."

"And we appreciate the help." Ezrah turned his eyes back to the road. "I don't want to think where they would be right now if I never showed up."

"Speaking of which, what will you do when the Super Mutants are gone?"

"Keep moving forward." Ezrah answered while thinking of last night and what he overheard. "I have to. In case the Brotherhood tracks me down. In fact, I know they are keeping an eye out and an ear to the ground for any information on me."

"I'm guessing that Power Armor was quite an investment on their technology development." Louis turned his attention back to the road. "From what you've told us, I would want to get something like that ba-"

His voice suddenly stopped, a large puddle of very murky water suddenly rippled. And it was a ver noticeable ripple to that. Ezrah stood confused for a moment before seeing the puddle ripple again, and after that an indicator on his helmet HUD picked up heavy vibrations traveling through the ground. Cavall suddenly got low to the ground as if he was about to strike, all his teeth bared and growling deeply.

Victoria approached the two after noticing they were quiet for awhile. "Is everything okay, guys?"

They didn't answer as another thud echoed through the streets. This time everyone seemed to take notice, it sounded like a storm was coming as pebbles on the ground rattled and the hanging street light started to wave back and forth. Hiromi quickly ordered his squad into position before another thud came, this time sounding more like a building collapsing in the distance.

"What the hell is going on?" Victoria asked with a slight tremble in her voice while reaching for her 12.7mm.

Louis felt his hairs on his neck stand on end, a slight shake in his hands. "I...don't know. I don't know what that is."

Ezrah on the other hand feared the worst. For a long time he heard whispers of the most dangerous type of Super Mutants. Even the pictures and archive information on them made him pray he'd never face one in person as a single word escaped his mouth. "Behemoth..."

"What did you say?..." Louis asked, barely hearing his faint word.

Before Ezrah snapped back to reality and answered, a loud crash made everyone jolt and step back. A roar came next, a mix of anger and pain as if something was hurting it. The thudding got closer and closer as they realized it was something very big and dangerous coming their way.

"It's a Behemoth!" Ezrah finally found his voice and shouted it out to everyone.

As Ezrah said, the Behemoth came running out from around the corner, smashing through the side of a brick building and sent crumbling bricks falling to the street like rain. It stood over twenty-four feet tall, a bit taller than average for its type. Its arms and upper chest wrapped in welded armor of scrap metal with leather underneath and shoulder guards made of large hubcaps.

It had old leather pants that reached its knees with a thick chain wrapped around the waist and secured with a heavy lock. It had nothing on its feet but there were metal greaves that went up to the knees and made of car pieces welded together and tied on with cables that left the back of the legs exposed. In its right hand was a long and wide helicopter blade, most likely from a rescue or firefighting helicopter, fashioned with a wrought iron handle and sharpened into an actual cutting blade.

The Behemoth suddenly cried out as the wanderers noticed a shower of sparks came from its waist. Their eyes fell onto four other Super Mutants wearing animal pelts and holding crude long prods to shock the Behemoth.

"Holy shit! The rumors are true!" Joe said with a tremble, switching up to his combat shotgun. "They really do get that big!"

Everyone stood frozen in place, the Super Mutants and the Behemoth didn't notice them yet because they were so occupied on keeping the giant under control. But soon one of them in a pelt made of bighorner hair happen to turn its head their way.

"Hey! The metal man is over there!" it screamed and pointed its finger.

The other three turned their heads, lowering their electric prods while the Behemoth bellowed to the fresh meat in front of it.

"Yeah! What they doing out here?!" another with Brahmin skin asked.

"No matter! We kill them anyway!" the one with mirelurk shells cackled out.

"Wait, who that Super Mutant? Why it with the humans?" another with mole rat pelt asked with a crooked brow.

"Oh, dammit!" Louis cursed, fearing that would happen. "Hey, Ezrah!"

"I know, I know!" Ezrah was quick to pick up what he was thinking. "Hiromi! Take out the four Super Mutants!"

"And leave you to fight that giant monster alone?!" Hiromi argued back while trying to get his squad focused.

"You have to!" Ezrah aimed his laser rifle right for the Behemoth's chest. "If those muties get back to their den and alert everyone of Wayland, then our whole plan goes up in smoke! We can't let this mission fail! I can handle this!"

"He won't be alone! We'll help too!" Louis answered while aiming his AN-94 at the Behemoth.

"We will?!" Radcliffe asked surprised before he could try to run.

"Just shut up and start shooting, Radcliffe!" Chloe ordered, not wasting any time by firing away with her plasma rifle.

The four Super Mutants dashed off to stay out of the Behemoth's rampaging path. After that, everyone opened fire to get the Behemoth's attention and in hopes that they could kill it down quick. But the Behemoth only cried out in annoyance rather than pain, the bullets pin pricked its thick skin while the lasers and plasma left shallow burns that did little to harm.

"Spread out! Spread out! Now!" Louis waved his arm out to everyone, and they didn't waste a moment to do so.

Ezrah started backing up, firing steadily while Louis started to circle around and reload a new magazine as Cavall followed him while barking fiercely. Radcliffe never stopped firing, a pile of shells and the rings that held the bullets together littered the road. Chloe and Asimov teamed up to let their lasers and plasma fly in volley. Joe went behind an old car for cover and fired his combat shotgun, hoping the drum full of shotgun slugs that he got from the weapons locker of the settlement would do better than buckshot.

Victoria notched an arrow and took aim at its neck, thinking it might be weaker. She let it loose and it flew straight into its target. The arrow stuck like a pin and the behemoth jerked to the sting and turned its head to the shooter, growling with anger. Victoria felt her stomach twist up as the Behemoth started charging for her while swinging its blade above its head. For whatever reason, the arrow in the neck enraged it even more.

"Vicky! Run!" Louis called out to shake her from shock.

The redhead spun around on her heels and ran with no particular direction in mind, clumsily holding her bow. She spotted Hiromi's team running into an alleyway to circle around before remembering the Behemoth getting closer. Near a row of buildings was an overturned long truck with three large sewer pipes on the road. Victoria dived in and started crawling on her hands and knees in the dirty pipe that was barely big enough for her. The Behemoth kneeled and reached its left hand into the pipe, shifting it around violently and shaking her inside. Victoria ended up cut off as the fragile metal started to crumble near the exit with the Behemoth's hand getting closer. She spun around while pulling an arrow from her quiver and waited, the hand big enough to snatch her was inches away as she let go the breath she was holding and stabbed the arrowhead right under its index fingernail. The Behemoth screeched with pain and jerked its hand out of the big pipe.

Ezrah charged in as soon as the Behemoth went after Victoria. He heard it cry out in pain and looked to see that it was waving its left hand with an arrow sticking in the finger. He pushed his curiosity aside as the left arm blade flicked out and found his mark by driving the blade into the back of the Behemoth's lower leg, which towered over him alone. The Behemoth's scream echoed across the street as it spun around and lashed its left arm out and struck Ezrah dead in the chest. Even with the shock absorbers at full power, he still felt the wind knocked out of him and went flying several feet and into a rusted out car, crumbling it like a can in a press and left him stunned.

That put everyone on the warpath. Their shots grew more focused and spread out more. Radcliffe finally started reloading a new magazine drum for his LMG as Asimov suddenly dashed off to an open building and started running up the flight of stairs with a plan calculating away. Louis closed in with his Mossberg shotgun and kept pumping off rounds at the Behemoth's face to draw its attention. It turned to its attacker and started swing the sword at him as he began backing away. Despite the crudeness of the blade, Louis had no doubt the Behemoth could cleave him or even a few people in half with ease thanks to its immense brute strength.

Victoria came out from the pipe and watched the Behemoth close in on him. "That's only making it angry!" she shouted, pointing out the futility of his attack.

"It was already angry!" Louis retorted as the last shell in his shotgun popped out. "Oh, fuck!"

The Behemoth loomed over him, sword raised for a moment before bringing it down. Louis let his instincts take over and leaped to the right as the blade struck the road, shattering the asphalt with ease. In moments the Vault dweller was back up as the Behemoth raised its blade again and swiped sideways. Louis anticipated the attack and leaped over it in time and landed hard on his hands and knees. Thankfully the Behemoth was sluggish with its moves, but it would soon get him one way or another, either by slashing him in half or just stomping him into a paste on the road. Once more the blade hanged high above and the Behemoth brought it down, but Louis stood ready and ran forward and between its legs as the blade crashed to the road once more.

The Behemoth stood bewildered and bended forward to try and find the human. It was the reaction Louis was hoping to see, not only was it sluggish, it was slow to figure anything out. But being slow didn't mean it wouldn't catch on as it spun around quite quickly and looked back down at Louis.

Despite the bullets still pricking its flesh and voices and barking trying to get its attention, the Behemoth kept its focus on Louis and lifted its blade up once more. But unknown to both, Asimov stood on the roof of the building he entered and waited for the right moment before gearing up power in his legs and leapt off the roof. All eyes fell on Asimov as he soared surprisingly graceful and landed squarely on the Behemoth's unarmored back near the right shoulder. And to anchor himself in place, his right blade sprung out and stabbed deep into its shoulder, one side of the blade could slide inward and give it a serrated side that allowed him to hang on without slipping out.

Once more the Behemoth roared in pain, stumbling around blindly and throwing its arms up and shaking hard to buck the Assaultron off and even tried to reach behind with its left hand. Asimov wasn't satisfied with just one blade in, his left blade came next, stabbing over and over in the back, trying to either cause a lung to collapse from punctures or get it in the spine for some real damage. Unfortunately Asimov's attack only lasted more than a minute and a half before the Behemoth stabbed its blade into the concrete to free its other hand and reach back to grab Asimov by his torso and pulled him off hard.

He was charging up a laser beam to strike the Behemoth in the back of the head. But it was too late and he found himself flung around as the beam streaked off into the air. That only seemed to enrage the Behemoth more as it held onto his torso tight, Asimov looked like an action figure in the hands of a dangerous child. The Behemoth grinned and began squeezing, sparks popped from Asimov's body as a dozen warning alarms came up in his point of view.

A cinder block flew through the air and shattered against the Behemoth's head. It groaned and dropped Asimov, who landed on his feet and quickly dashed away before it wanted to play again. Another cinder block flew and struck the Behemoth dead in the nose. All eyes turned to the one tossing the blocks as yet another cinder block hit the Behemoth straight in the jaw.

Wayland held another cinder block in hand, leftovers from an unfinished construction site. The Super Mutant frowned deeply and got ready to throw again, impressing everyone on how far away he stood, at least fourty feet away from the Behemoth.

"Hey! Over here, blockhead!" he shouted before tossing it.

The Behemoth was ready this time, it threw out its left fist and shattered the cinder block into dust. For a moment it stood confused, it had been tamed to not attack Super Mutants, yet it grew angry as Wayland tossed another cinder block that ended up striking its armored chest. That finally set the Behemoth off to grab the hilt of its standing blade. It roared before charging with the tip pointing right at Wayland. Just before the blade made contact, Wayland leaped to the left while holding his sledgehammer. The Behemoth lumbered forward, almost tripping over itself as Wayland quickly spun around with the melee weapon raised and swung out, striking hard on the side of the Behemoth's knee, feeling it reverberate up his arms. The Behemoth's eyes bulged and it screamed while falling onto its hands and knees, the blade flying from its grip.

Wayland held tightly with both hands and ran up to the Behemoth's head before it could get itself together and stand up. The Super Mutant swung hard and struck the Behemoth hard on the left side near the eye, leaving a noticeable indent. But instead of going down like he planned, the pain only angered the Behemoth further and got it back on track. It snatched the blade back and rose, shadowing over Wayland despite being almost eight feet tall himself.

Ezrah moaned as the daze from being thrown finally faded away. He placed a hand at the side of his head to rub the pain away before remembering he was inside his Power Armor. "And now I know what it feels like to be tossed like a deflated ball."

"Hey, Ezrah!" Louis called to him, he was about to hold his hand out to help him back up before remembering he was in heavy armor. "That thing sent you flying! Are you okay? If that Behemoth swiped anyone of us, then we'd be dead!"

Ezrah lifted himself up and grabbed the laser rifle, checking it over for damage before looking to the battle. Wayland faced the Behemoth by himself, waving the sledgehammer around in one hand while firing the AK-47 in the other. The rest of the wanderers stayed spread out on the street, doing what they could to get the Behemoth's attention. Yet no matter how many bullets they shot into it or taunts they yelled, the Behemoth kept trying to split Wayland in half with glee.

"That's an understatement." Ezrah said, holding the laser rifle tight. "This needs to end now. We're losing time and wasting ammo as it is."

"Couldn't agree more." Louis said while loading a new magazine. "And I have a plan. That Behemoth is tough on the outside, but I figured its insides aren't."

Ezrah raised a brow under his helmet. "I'm not sure I get what you mean."

"Follow my lead."

Wayland dodged another downward blade strike, barely pulling his foot away and had to do a double take to make sure his toes were still there. The wanderers had to stop and reload once more, at this point most of them were down by more than one fourth of their ammo and had no choice but to dial it back. And even though most of the Behemoth's body was covered in tiny holes with thick blood trickling out, it barely showed any signs of slowing down from exhaustion or blood loss.

"Dammit! Why won't it die?!" Joe cursed as he threw the shotgun drum aside.

"We're just pissing our ammo away." Chloe said while reaching for a new plasma cartridge. "At this rate we won't have any left to defend ourselves when we get to their den!"

"And that monster is gonna kill Wayland sooner or later, we have to do something!" Victoria stated with worry.

"I hate to say it, but there's nothing we have that can take it down quickly." Asimov spoke, trying to form a plan that didn't result in someone getting killed or depleting their ammo.

Louis overheard their conversation and ran over. "Not so fast, I think we do have something." everyone turned around to him, waiting for him to explain. "I believe we have what we need to kill that Behemoth. It's Wayland's missile launcher."

"And what if it doesn't work?" Joe asked. "Even if it didn't have armor on its chest, you don't know if it will be enough. Our bullets barely slow it down."

"I know, but we're low on options as it is. Just try to distract it again, focus your shots at its legs. Make it stumble. I'll get to Wayland and give him the details!" he didn't wait for them to ask more questions before running off.

Ezrah came up to them and pulled back the front slide to his laser rifle that started to charge. "Just follow what Louis said! Aim for its legs!" the charge completed, he aimed and pulled the trigger, releasing a steady laser beam that even left Asimov very impressed by its power.

The laser struck in the back of the Behemoth's right thigh, burning through at least a few inches of flesh and muscle. Ezrah ejected the spent cell and reloaded a new one. It cried out in pain and staggered, a slight whimpered escaped from its throat. Joe switched over to his Sako 85 rifle and aimed for the back of the knees. The Behemoth finally spun around to its attackers and ran for them, staggering with each step thanks to the gaping hole in the back of its leg. Its counterattack was predictable to them, all they had to do was spread out and provoke it with a couple of shots at a time to save ammo and get it to run around aimlessly, struggling to pick a target.

Wayland finally collapsed to the ground, his rear hitting the pavement hard. "I can't believe...I survived that. I've never seen a giant one up close before..." he panted deeply.

Louis stood over him, once again about to offer a hand to help Wayland up before realizing the Super Mutant probably weighed more than five times his own weight. "Glad you're okay. You held out well against that Behemoth."

Wayland found his strength again and stood back up. "I can't kill it...none of us can. I was about to use my minigun to see if that would work."

"Good plan, but you actually have something a whole lot better." he pointed at the quad-barrel missile launcher hanging from his back.

Wayland glanced to his weapon for a moment before reaching his right arm back and grabbed the barrel and pulled it into his hands. "You want me to blow it up?"

"Close. I don't want you to waste any shots by hitting its body. I want you to give it the worst case of heartburn its ever had!" he said with enthusiasm, but Wayland didn't understand what he meant by heartburn. Louis realized his confusion soon enough. "I mean, shoot it in the mouth with a missile."

"Oh! I get you now!" Wayland grinned and held the missile launcher tight.

"I knew you would, but we need to wait for the right moment." Louis gave him a thumbs up before turning back to the fight. "We'll only have one shot at this, we can't afford to waste a single missile on that thing."

Wayland frowned with determination as Louis took the lead in hopes their plan will work.

The Behemoth screamed and twirled the blade above its head like a helicopter taking off. It started swinging the blade down, shattering the ground thanks to its blind rage. Chunks of concrete flew everywhere from the impact, the Behemoth had lost all sense of control. Not that it ever had much control with itself to begin with. Not taking any chances, everyone backed away as far as they could to avoid its attacks. The Behemoth suddenly used its free hand to pick up random objects and toss them about, forcing the wanderers away further to avoid the chunks of asphalt or rusted car bodies or even a lamp posts and so on.

As the Behemoth kept its attention on the group who hid behind walls or piles of debris for protection, Louis circled around with his Desert Eagle and fired four shots into the Behemoth's left knee. It snarled from the pain and turned to its attacker, Louis didn't think the gun would aggravate it that much as it started coming after him.

"Guys! Continue the attack! Go for its knees! Bring it down for Wayland!" he shouted out as the Behemoth picked up a motorcycle and hurled it towards him.

While the Behemoth chased him down, the rest came out from hiding and focused their fire back on the joints. But Ezrah and Asimov stayed behind for a moment, the two ended up talking after the Assaultron witnessed the charged shot from his laser rifle. And soon enough they came up with a plan, one that would force Ezrah to fully spend another microfusion cell and Asimov to fire off another head beam at the same time.

The two ran ahead of the group, weapons already beginning to charge. Both had one chance to topple the giant and give Wayland the opening to end this. But the Behemoth suddenly spun around, swinging its blade clumsily at them, the edge pointing at an awkward angle. In that instant, Ezrah tossed the laser rifle into his left hand and raised his right arm up. He didn't know if it was a split decision, or wanting payback from being tossed earlier, but either way, Ezrah caught the blade with his arm and held it under to keep it in place, the impact of it almost knocked him over and could have sworn his ribs felt like they broke. The blade edge scraped against his metal palm, along with the sides scraping against his arm and body. Ezrah could feel the harsh vibrations run up through his armpit where the plating was a tad lighter. He held firm, cranking the torque of his Power Armor and anchoring himself in place as the Behemoth tried to pull the blade away.

"Asimov!" he called out while taking aim. "Do it now!"

The Assaultron needed a moment to refocus after watching Ezrah's risky gamble before turning back to the Behemoth, head laser ready to fire and burning brightly in his optics. Two red lasers screamed through the air and burned into the Behemoth's knees. As the old proverb goes, the giant came falling down with palms that couldn't support its weight before hitting the road face down.

Ezrah spun his body around and threw the blade aside, he looked at the scratches on his Power Armor's palm and sides, grumbling at the newly added marks. The Behemoth began to stir, lifting its head and slowly flail its arms and legs around. The lasers went deep through its knees, all the way down to the bones and ligaments, and the throbbing pain only got worse as blood poured out.

Not letting the opportunity slip away, Wayland ran past them, missile launcher slung and ready. A low grumble came from the Behemoth as it slowly pushed itself up, still confused and disoriented as it looked around the area for its weapon. But instead it saw a large green fist sock it right in the thick cheek. The Behemoth's screamed as its face stung with pain, Wayland lifted his missile launcher up and aimed right at its open mouth.

All it took was a simple pull of the trigger. A missile launched from the quad-barrel and entered the mouth, scraping against the front teeth. The missile just barely left its housing as the tip slipped in a few inches down the Behemoth's throat before detonating. Wayland fell back, the kickback was stronger than he anticipated and didn't have time to firmly plant his feet. But that proved to be a good thing as it saved him from the shock wave and flames. The explosion washed over the area, rattling old windows and could be heard like thunder in the distance.

Wayland's ears rang, muffling all other sounds and forced himself to slowly sit up. The buildings around him spun and he forgot why he was on the ground before remembering. He looked up to see Ezrah holding out a metal clad hand to him. The wanderers stood several feet from the Behemoth as the smoke cleared. It upper body was propped up by its forearms and elbows with the head slumped down. The explosion blew open the throat, the lower jaw having almost no trace of flesh or muscle. The eyes popped thanks to the intense heat and most of the lower face was burnt black and completely unrecognizable. Moments later the body came flopping back to the ground with a pool of blood starting to spill out from the head.

Despite the victory over the fallen Behemoth, the wanderers and company stood exhausted with heavy sweat at their brows and a good portion of their ammo spent. And the worse was still to come at the power plant against countless other Super Mutants waiting and bloodthirsty for a fight.


	35. INTO THE DEN

**CHAPTER 35: INTO THE DEN.**

" _A leader is one who knows the way, goes the way, and shows the way." -John C. Maxwell._

The Super Mutant wearing dog skin as a pelt gave out a death cry before collapsing to the ground in a heap. Its body laid with the other three behind some road blocks, their prods broken in the attack. Hiromi and his team didn't know the Super Mutants were armed until they started shooting back, the assault rifles were strapped behind them under the pelts. But despite the surprise counterattack, the tamers eventually fell to the hail of bullets with blood pooling around them.

Hiromi and his team checked their ammo and to see if anyone else was injured. "Good work, everyone." He praised. "That's five less mutants in the world."

"Should we head back to Ezrah and the others to help?" One of the men with a bandanna around his head asked.

"Yes, and hopefully Ezrah managed to at least weaken that thing." Hiromi nodded, reloading his rifle. "I can't imagine them taking it down so quickly."

A sudden explosion reached their ears, it was faint but unmistakable. It made the squad aim their weapons in the direction of the noise, which was in the direction of Ezrah and the wanderers.

"What the hell is going on now?" Hiromi said while getting back in the lead. "Come on. I don't know what that was, but they might be in danger!"

The squad grouped up and headed back to Ezrah's location, this time following the street instead of cutting through alleyways like they did to get the drop on the tamers.

()()()()

Louis sat up on his elbow and looked at the fallen Behemoth from afar. When he dodged the motorcycle that was thrown, he ended up landing on his back hard, leaving a tingling pain running up and down his spine. He feared it was the end, that one mistake left him open and completely defenseless. But to his thanks the others managed to get the Behemoth to turn away and attack them. And not long after that, the ear shattering explosion ended the mutant giant at last.

Before he found the strength to stand back up, a rapid sniffing came at him from the right before seeing a big snout smelling him over. Once Cavall's nose reached his face, he let his tongue out and licked all over him.

"Ah, Cavall! No, boy! Stop, I'm okay! Down boy." Louis laughed between every other word. After the giant hybrid was sure he was well, Louis stood back up and turned around to what remained of the motorcycle. The impact laid several feet away, parts shattered into many pieces and thrown everywhere across the street. "And to think that could have been me." he grumbled to himself.

Everyone stood around the Behemoth, stepping back every now and then as the blood inched close to their feet. Radcliffe scoffed in disgust and pulled out his Hardballer and aimed at the giant's body. Joe reached his hand out over the gun and made him lower it.

Footsteps approached from behind, Hiromi and his squad stood flabbergasted, almost unable to believe a Behemoth was taken down with just a handful of them.

"I...I don't believe it," he could barely find the words to string together. "You all did it! You killed the monster!"

Louis held his hand out towards Wayland. "You should be thanking Wayland. He's the one who finished it off. Shot that Behemoth in the mouth with a missile."

The entire group of settlers looked to the friendly Super Mutant. Some quietly voiced their thanks while others began to feel a newfound respect for him. Hiromi held his tongue for now, he wasn't in the mood to start another fight and just counted his blessings that the giant was done for.

Ezrah slung his laser rifle onto his back, ready to move. "Let's go. We're losing time."

"Gee, can we get a minute?..." Radcliffe asked with a heavy huff.

"We don't have the time." Joe said while checking the magazine of his Sako 85 rifle.

"He's right, the mission must continue." Ezrah started marching ahead, already back on track.

Louis was going to suggest letting everyone rest for a few minutes, but figured there was no time to argue with him right now. They needed to get Wayland inside the power plant before night fell. At the rate they were going, they might have to shack up in a building nearby. "Alright, you heard him, time to go."

They checked their guns while walking, either reloading or making sure everything was in working order. Wayland slipped a new missile into his quad-barrel to fully loaded, deep down he was happy to finally use it after having it hanging on his back for so long.

It took another hour and a half until the group reached the power plant. The crumbling structure rested many yards away, the building stood so dilapidated that it was amazing it could still be used to live in. The cooling towers had fallen, only the one on the left still had its foundation standing. They spotted several Super Mutants wandering the grounds, alone but not too far from each others' sight. They found some nearby buildings to hide in, it didn't seem that the Super Mutants put out patrols in their area. Either from not having enough of them to go around as it is or simply because they never thought of it.

Wayland handed his missile launcher, sledgehammer, and CZ57 Avenger minigun and ammo backpack over to Hiromi's squad and kept the AK-47 for protection if anything went wrong.

"Alright, so let's go over the plan one more time." Ezrah stood in front of the Super Mutant, hands behind his back, which was impressive in his power armor. "You will approach the entrance, say what you need to say to get in. Make it sound like you want to join their kin. Then once inside, start searching around, it shouldn't be too hard, Super Mutants are never very good with security on the inside of their dwellings. If they really are making more of them, find out how and where. Then report back as soon as you can. From the looks of it, they come and go as they please. So hopefully you can walk out without raising any suspicion. If you do find any humans there, then that pretty much confirms what you said yesterday. Although I really hope that's not the case..."

"I do too." Wayland said worryingly.

Louis approached the two, the plan already made him nervous for Wayland's safety. "I suggest some of us follow him and stay close to the power plant in case things go wrong. So Wayland could at least have someone on the outside waiting nearby."

"I advise against that." Ezrah turned to him. "We don't know where the Super Mutants are patrolling on the outside. And I can tell from here there's not much cover. You don't want one of them coming up from behind. They can be surprisingly sneaky when they want to be."

Victoria approached him from behind and placed a comforting hand on his trench coat covered shoulder. "Don't worry about Wayland. He can handle anything in there." She spoke, although not fully convinced herself.

Wayland could see the worry in his friends and put on a brave face for them. "I'll get in and come back. They won't know what I'm doing until it's too late."

"See if they got any booze in there and bring it back!" Radcliffe asked him from across the room. Or more like heavily suggested.

"Don't do that, Wayland." Joe sharply said.

Hiromi and his squad took positions near windows and the open door. He still hated the idea of the mission, letting a Super Mutant go inside to a power plant filled with them. His imagination kept running away, visions of the monsters pouring out from the building was all he could think about, and there would be Wayland at the back, betraying them all with a smile on his face. But once more he kept quiet, at least until he was gone.

Wayland went through the threshold of the door with his friends wishing him luck and the AK-47 hanging under his right arm with the strap over his shoulder in case he needed it within quick reach.

Ezrah stood near the entrance. "Good luck in there." He gave a small salute.

The Super Mutant nodded and began walking, giving his friends once last glance and a small smile. Once he started walking, a tightness came across his chest, the horrible sensation of fear. Memories of his former Overlord came back, and all the cruel and sadistic things it did to him and their human captives. It wasn't fear for his life that bothered him, it was the fear of how long the humans might have been suffering if there were any inside. In that moment, the veins in Wayland's face gave off a slight green glow that reached down to his neck and only lasted a few seconds before fading away once more.

In what felt like hours, Wayland approached the entrance to the power plant a few minutes later. The Super Mutants turned their heads his way, some slowly reaching for their guns. Wayland stood surprised, he didn't expect them to notice he was a stranger and hoped they would just let him walk right in. But once he approached the front entrance, two of them stood guard, wearing armor that seemed to be made of lawnmowers and cooking grill lids, looked to him.

"Hey! Who you?!" The one on the left shouted and aimed its busted up rifle.

Other Super Mutants started to gather, eager to leer at the new arrival. The mutant on the right pointed its shotgun. "Answer! Before we shoot!"

Wayland quickly cleared his throat, time to dumb it down. "Who you think I am? I Super Mutant like you!"

The two lowered their weapons and looked to each other with confused frowns before throwing back their heads and laughed. "Ha! You _are_ Super Mutant!" The one on the left bellowed out loud.

The area soon became a clamor of deep laughs, Wayland gave a nervous chuckle, trying his best to play along with them. Once the one on the left calmed down and lowered its weapon, it began to ask Wayland some questions. "Where you come from? You alone and not with the other human gatherers."

Wayland almost gasped, those words confirmed his fears. But he pushed that revelation aside and focused on the mission. "I, uh, lost my entire kin. We were attacked by big beasts, I only one who escaped. I heard about you and wanted to join. Let me join you..."

The Super Mutants looked to each other as if that decision was up to the other. The shotgun carrier gave a deep frown. "Only our leader Demon can make that decision. We can let you in, but you will have to find Demon and ask. Just hope Demon not in a bad mood. Demon has been getting more and more angry every day."

Both of their big hands reached for the double door handles and opened it up, squeaking all the way. It was dark inside, it felt like walking into the mouth of a giant monster. Wayland slowly walked through, and soon the doors closed behind him rather hard. Once inside he could see small lights above, along with other Super Mutants mulling around and not giving him much attention. There was no turning back now, so Wayland put on his best fearsome face, the kind of face that told others not to mess with him and marched on.

()()()()()()()()

With a heavy grunt, Inez snapped the final armor piece back over the body of the Gatling laser and slipped a fusion core into the back near the handle and trigger. The weapon came to life with a charging noise as she stepped back. After a few moments and no explosions, Inez confirmed to the others that the weapon was working. The workers gave her a round of applause for fixing the weapon they struggled for so long with.

Even Doug offered a small clap from the chair he sat on. "Good going, Inez." He said half heartily. "If anyone can do it, it's you."

Inez didn't take offense to his lackluster comment, she knew not being able to walk bothered him. "Still upset you can't be out there with the others?" She asked while taking a seat near him.

"Are you not?"

"Well, a little." She sighed. "I admit I've never fought anyone before. And so far I've only killed one man, that bastard Rust Devil leader. And Super Mutants don't die easy."

Doug grunted in response and slowly stood. His ankle was doing far better with only a slight twitch of pain. "So how sure are you with the repairs to that Gatling laser?" He asked, a slight grin starting to spread.

Now Inez started to feel just a little bit offended. "I'm very sure. Good as new if I do say so myself. What do you got planned?"

The farmer walked over to the weapon and placed a hand on it. "I'm just saying...it would be a shame for this fixed weapon just to sit around and gather dust." He gave it a light pat. "I say we return it to its rightful owner and look for some volunteers to help..."

Inez smiled in response and stood up. "I like the way you think..."

()()()()()()()()

Deep inside the power plant, Thaddeus carried the strange canister up to a massive machine that took up an entire wall. It wasn't often he made his way down to the lower levels of the plant, he always stayed confined in his lab or took breaks on the roof. The equipment rested in a room that filtered the FEV into the gas chambers where the prisoners were kept. When Thaddeus and Al arrived and struck a deal with Demon, it took months to gather the materials needed to construct both the prison cells and the massive gas chamber that took up an entire sealed section. And what really took so long was explaining over and over to the Super Mutants what equipment and materials he needed. The reactor cores powered the machines, the ones that were still in working order. The one benefit of having creatures immune to leaking radiation was that they could go into those levels and fix the machines. Which drew Thaddeus half insane trying to teach them well enough to get the reactors in working order and not blow the power plant up.

Thaddeus hummed a tune while Demon and Splitter stood behind him at the entrance of the room. Of course he never trusted Demon or its temperament, so he kept four of his ogres standing in between him and the leader. Both for protection and to piss Demon off, he knew it hated the very sight of the ogres. To it they seemed like domesticated Super Mutants, no different than trained dogs. To that, Thaddeus smiled every time Demon grumbled in frustration.

All the Super Mutants wised up to how dangerous Thaddeus' ogres were. After the first few months when Thaddeus and Al made a deal with Demon, a few other mutants didn't take well to the idea of a human making demands. They approached Thaddeus and Al with the intent to kill, and a number of the others came to watch for fun. But before they could attack, Thaddeus snapped his fingers and pointed at the few would-be attackers. In the blink of an eye, the ogres lunged forward at the Super Mutants, and in moments they were ripped to pieces. Limbs torn off like a cheap action figure, organs ruptured and ripped out, and even their heads were pulled off and crushed like rotten fruit. When the mutants were dead, the ogres simply stood over the slaughter and waited for their next orders as the rest looked on in fear. No Super Mutants ever had the courage to make an attempt on Thaddeus' life since. Save for Demon's half empty threats, depending on its mood.

"How much longer until its ready?!..." Demon demanded, already losing patience.

Thaddeus didn't answer, he focused on the canister by carefully screwing the tubes in and locking it in place on the holding rack. "Not much longer. I need to run some final tests to make sure the terminal data is processing and not corrupt, check the FEV mixture, inspect the tubes running to the gas chambers, make sure there are no leaks, lots and lots of work. So go slap your followers around and don't bother me."

Demon gritted its teeth and growled verbally, the ogres seemed to register that as a growing threat and turned their blank, almost milky white eyes to it. Heavy footsteps came charging down the hall, Al quickly entered the room and glared right at Demon with a furious face.

"What the hell have you done?!" He bellowed, the blue veins under his pale white skin seemed to twitch. "I just found out you released our Behemoth! You let Wrath loose on the settlers! I'd ask what you were thinking, but _clearly_ you don't have a single thought in that skewered head of yours!"

Demon's temper flared to that. It reached out a hand to grab Al by his throat before one of the ogres crossed the room and stood a foot away from Demon, ready to jump in. The leader backed off, despite its smoldering anger.

Thaddeus turned around to them, barely showing an interest in the sudden development. "I'm guessin' you sicced that Behemoth as another one of your snap decisions or spur of the moment. I don't see the big deal."

Al turned to him with an angered frown. "Not a big deal? We both know Behemoths are incredibly hard to come by! A single one is at least worth forty Super Mutants! And this shard head let it loose with only a few tamers!" He pointed accusingly at Demon. "Even if it doesn't get killed by the settlers, there's no way of knowing if they can get it back under control!"

Thaddeus entered a few commands into the terminal and soon the special mix began hissing through the tube connected to it into its first stage dispenser. "Okay, I get it. Demon screwed up, but there's nothing we can do right now. If the settlers are taken out, so be it. If they kill the beast, so be it too. Either way it keeps them at bay." He stood back up, stretched his back and started heading to the door. "I'm gonna check the holding cell. Try not to kill each other."

Thaddeus' ogres followed, always staying close to guard him. Al glared pure death at Demon, his patience for the brain damaged brute growing thinner and thinner with each passing day. If Thaddeus didn't finally lose his patience with it, Al knew he would. So before he said anything, the albino walked off to blow off some steam.

The scientist couldn't help but smile as he walked the dimly lit halls, the Super Mutants he passed stepped back out of fear from the ogres. Something about having big, brutish mutants as bodyguards made him feel bigger than a Behemoth. Some minutes later he entered the holding cell down below to the two hundred plus people held there.

The holding cells rested in the decontamination and sanitation rooms, the perfect place to gas the prisoners. Thaddeus spent a few months having the Super Mutants knock down walls, rearrange plumbing and wires, put up new walls and seal the rooms so the FEV gas wouldn't seep out. All in all it took about a year until Thaddeus said it was safe to make Super Mutants, including the time needed to gather the right machines and equipment to run it. And during most of those days Thaddeus wished he could just go back to the time before he and Al set out on their assignment.

The captives were held behind thick panes of glass found in testing laboratories with several separate blocks holding many prisoners at a time to keep them from rallying together and plot a full scale escape. Their conditions were miserable but at least their cells were kept clean for the most part. It was truly like big prison cells, Thaddeus had several working toilets put in each holding cell at the back with some flimsy privacy screens found in hospitals, and narrow sink pipes built into the walls for them to drink water. Whenever they decided to turn the water on. The doors had heavy sealed slots that allowed food to be slipped in and passed around, which also became a new pastime for the Super Mutants to tease them.

As Thaddeus walked at a steady pace through the makeshift prison, his eyes looking to the huddled hostages. He was at least impressed by the variety of people. Most were from small settlements or villages that wouldn't have lasted long regardless. Some were scattered Raider groups that have seemed to turn over a new leaf after being held for so long and getting to know their fellow prisoner. And the rest were small caravans that got abducted on the roads, their Brahmin slaughtered and their supplies stolen. Their ages ranging from late teens to at least forty, which worked well within acceptable parameters for what Thaddeus had planned.

He reached a far section near the last holding cell and went up to the terminal on a desk that ran simulated tests on the entire gas dispense plumbing to make sure it was all working. As he sat down on a chair and began bringing up the system data, a loud banging nearby caught his attention. Thaddeus looked up from his screen and saw a man with ragged clothes banging against the thick glass. From the looks of it, he been held there for a few months. He knew the prisoners had been in the cells for quite some time, some for more than half a year, others a few months, and even the latest round of fresh captives had been there for at least a few weeks. And they did whatever they could to pass the time and keep calm, that included making up games and telling stories of their life and the places they came from.

The man banged again on the glass, eyes with heavy bags under them. "Please, you gotta help us! Get us out before those monsters come back!"

Thaddeus watched him for a few moments before humming indifferently and went back to his task. The man reeled back in confusion before pounding his fist on it again, starting to draw some attention from the captives around him.

"Didn't you hear me?! Please help! Those things are going to kill us sooner or later!"

"I hear you! Loud and clear!" Thaddeus raised his voice in answer. "And I'm not here to help anyone. And for the record, if the Super Mutants were gonna kill you, they would have done it and eaten you for that matter."

"Then who are you? Why are you walking around freely with them?" The man asked as he looked at the ogres standing behind Thaddeus, wondering why they were so different from the rest.

Thaddeus smiled as the system diagnostics showed the plumbing was working. He then began checking over the gas sprinklers so that all chambers got an equal amount. "Who I am and what I'm doing is of little relevance to you and everyone else. Soon you all will be turned into those brutes..." He said so casually, to him it was truly no big deal.

The people who overheard Thaddeus and the prisoner began to clamor with fear and even bang against the glass in vain. "My god! Why would you do such a thing?! Helping these monsters make more of them? This is madness! You're a monster, just like the rest of those Super Mutants!"

Both of Thaddeus' fist flew up in the air and slammed down on the desk. The terminal jostled and the green screen flickered. The man and the people near him fell silent and the ogres behind seemed to be waiting for an order. "Me? A monster?" He asked before snickering. "That's a laugh. Calling me that when the world is filled with far worse monsters than the meatheads in this power plant. And just so you know, the monsters I'm referring to are people. They don't need to be hideous freaks of nature to show it!"

"That doesn't mean you have to do this!" The man pounded the glass with both fists now. "These people aren't monsters! We just try to live and survive in the Wasteland everyday!"

"And that there is part of the problem." Thaddeus pointed with his finger for a moment. "Most people live short and pointless lives. Scraping by with little to nothing, never knowing if you'll see the next day. Getting killed by some Raider trying to steal the two caps in your pocket. So many things for a meaningless existence in a dying world. I, on the other hand, have meaning in my work. And it will change the world for the better. I don't expect you all to understand, in fact I doubt you would anyway. But just know my work is one big step towards greatness for everyone."

He finally finished running all the tests needed, stood up and stretched before turning towards the way he came to leave. Not even giving the panicking people a passing glance.

The man wasn't done speaking, he followed as fast as could before Thaddeus was out of range of their holding cell. "What plan? What could you possibly achieve by turning us into monsters?! This is all insanity!"

Thaddeus stopped in his tracks, the ogres behind him stopped only a foot from behind him. He turned his head sharply to the prisoner, making the man step back suddenly. "Again, you all couldn't possibly understand no matter how much I explain it." His tone cold and sharp. " _But_ , if it makes you feel better...those brain dead Super Mutants are just a means to an end for me. They don't even know I'm using them. And they won't know it, even when it's too late." Once more he began walking before they tried to get his attention again.

Thaddeus then remembered he needed to do something back in his lab and quickened his pace, the ogres matching his gait.

()()()()()()()()()()

Wayland felt like he was wandering around for hours. He didn't know how to tell time, only that when the sun rises it's a new day. It was also difficult to make his search because a lot of the Super Mutants kept asking who he was and where he came from because of his odd shade of green. He came into an open floor, watching the Super Mutants mulling about with nothing to do but wait for their leader to give them orders. Old memories that Wayland wasn't too fond of. But he had a stroke of luck not too long ago, he overheard several mutants talking about the human captives held down below in the decontamination area. He smiled to hearing that information, but it went away just as quickly when he heard they were gonna be gassed with FEV sometime today. In fact, he began to notice a lot of the Super Mutants were in a good mood, as if they were awaiting the arrival of long time friends and family. It was worse than he feared, a new army was about to be made and that put the settlement and so many others in great danger. Wayland didn't know what to do now, he considered leaving and tell the others what he discovered. But then he remembered the guards at the door, it was likely they would stop him and ask why he's leaving so soon. He also considered going down to the lower level and sabotage the machines before the people were gassed.

Before he made up his mind, Wayland turned around and gasped in surprise when he saw who was standing in front of him. For a moment Wayland thought he was looking at a ghost, a Super Mutant with pale white skin and blue veins looked back at him with a tense frown. Wayland couldn't find anything to say, all he could do was stare at the albino that baffled him. Something about it made Wayland feel deeply nervous, he could tell it wasn't like the rest at all. It had sharp eyes and an air of purpose and reasoning that made it stand above the rest in intellect.

"Uh, hello..." Was all Wayland could muster to say.

Al on the other hand just frowned even more. "Who are _you?_..."

()()()()()()()()()()()()

It was almost two and a half hours since Wayland walked into the power plant, everyone took turns on lookout and simply waited for anything to happen. Louis paced back and forth, worried for Wayland's safety. Ezrah stood outside of his Power Armor, inspecting the side where the Behemoth's blade scrapped against it. He sighed upon the noticeable scratches, and hoped someone could buff it out. Despite still functioning very well as the system diagnostics showed, there was no denying his Power Armor showed the scars of its battles. Light scratches and pin size dents covered almost every inch of it, Ezrah often thought back to the way it used to look, pristine and shiny, almost too beautiful to send out into the Wasteland. If there was one thing the Brotherhood of Steel was good at, it was taking great care of their suits.

Hiromi had his squad routinely check their equipment, both keep them prepared and so they didn't get bored. Radcliffe sat on an old chair in the corner near the door to the next room, dozing off here and there. Joe stood over Cavall, trying to teach him a few things like shake, lay down, and even hoped to get him to roll over. Although the large hybrid thought the ghoul was trying to play with him, so not much luck with the training. Chloe worked on her plasma rifle, making sure there was no damage to it after facing that Behemoth, and a bit disappointed she didn't get to use the flamethrower attachment. Asimov stood as still as a statue from one of the windows, never taking his optics off the power plant in case some of the brutes came their way. Victoria watched Louis as he continued to pace, knowing that every minute that passed made him worry more and more.

"Louis," Chloe said to him. "Pacing back and forth isn't helping..."

The Vault dweller stopped in his tracks and looked to her. "I know that, but that doesn't mean I can't stop worrying."

"Your hair is gonna turn gray and fall out, kid." Joe said after another failed attempt to make Cavall lie down. "Take it easy, nothing has happened since Wayland went in."

"Nothing that has happened on the outside." Louis pointed out, crossing his arms and looked to the door where Radcliffe was snoozing near. He sighed lightly and started heading for it. "I'm gonna...find a spot to go. Be back in a few minutes." He informed everyone.

All of them heard him as he exited the door. Victoria on the other hand felt a strange suspicion when he left the room. She knew Louis wasn't the kind of person to just let an issue go. So after a minute or so passed, she looked around before walking through the same entrance he went through.

()()()()()()()()()()()()

Doug and Inez, along with five people following, made their way steadily down the street. They followed the fresh trail, thinking it was the best and safest path to travel. One of the men, a rather strong one, carried the Gatling laser strapped to his back. Doug put on a brave face as he walked, his ankle started to hurt again, but not enough to stop him. He put in all his effort to not slow the group down despite showing a slight limp to his step. His hand rested on the double barrel strapped to his waist, keeping an eye out for any danger. They all expected to see Super Mutants on the way, the five people traveling with them kept their rifles ready as if expecting an attack to spring out any moment.

"How much farther until we reach the power plant?" Doug asked to try and distract them from his limp. He worried they noticed it.

"At this pace, maybe less than two hours." Said the one carrying the Gatling laser.

Inez on the other hand knew Doug was pushing himself too hard. "Let's take a quick break. We won't be of any help if we're exhausted."

The group agreed and found spots to rest in the open. Doug mentally sighed in relief as he sat down on the front hood of a rusted car, glad to take the weight off his ankle. The frown across his face only seem to deepen, he didn't want to wait but couldn't risk making it worse again.

Inez sat down on the side above the axle, the tire long gone, and looked over to Doug. "Still worried about the others? Or should I say...you're more worried about Louis?"

Doug's tight face unwind, there was no way he could deny it with her. "That guy, always getting himself into crazy things. It's amazing and annoying at the same time."

"But you still want to help because he's your friend and friends help each other." Inez stated with a smile.

"Until he gets really hurt or worse. And then I'll feel shitty because he got himself killed for getting into something way over his head." Doug said, slumping his head down a little.

"I may have not known him nearly as long as you, but I know he'll be fine if you're looking out for him." She said, hoping to turn his frown around. "But trust in him, he's doing far better than most people who get in over their heads."

Doug let out a light chuckle and turned his head to the sky. "True, that guy can't go far before stumbling into some new mess." He slid off the hood and brushed the rust off his rear. "We've rested long enough. Let's move."

"If you're sure." Inez hopped off next and asked the group. "Everyone else good to go?"

The settlers got back up, rested and ready. The man carrying the Gatling laser secured it once more before they started walking again, following the trail laid before them.

()()()()()()()()()()()()

Joe sat on the floor and leaned against a wall. He had sort of, kind of, gave up on trying to teach Cavall some tricks and let him patter off. But soon he realized Cavall wasn't anywhere in sight, in fact he hadn't seen Louis in awhile either. At least half an hour, give or take, the last thing he remembered was Louis going off to find a place to go. "Hey, where's Louis? Anyone seen him?" He asked while standing up.

Everyone in the room started looking around, but no one could find him or Cavall anywhere. Chloe also remembered she was once talking to Victoria earlier. "Come to think of it, I haven't seen Vicky in awhile either. Where'd she go?"

Ezrah dashed to the entrance where Radcliffe sat, who was still dozing off in his seat. "Hey, Radcliffe, where's Louis and Victoria?" He asked while patting him on the shoulder.

Radcliffe jerked from his sleep and grumbled. "Who? What? Shut up and leave me alone."

"Radcliffe," Ezrah said more sternly. "Louis and Victoria are missing. And they passed you before they went missing. Did you see anything before they disappeared."

"No, I didn't!" Radcliffe rubbed his right eye. "They went pass me a minute or two ago. Just check the back. Maybe they both needed to take a leak."

"That was half an hour ago." Joe told him. "You were asleep the whole time."

Ezrah and Joe walked through the door with Chloe and Asimov tailing behind, they went down the dim and messy hall and stared hearing a heavy scratching. They quickened the pace and went around the turn to find Cavall digging at the bottom of an old wooden door that probably wouldn't have hold up if he really tried to break it down considering his size.

"Cavall, come here." Joe called to him. The hybrid stopped digging and sat down in front of the door whimpering lightly. "Oh, sure, _now_ he knows how to sit..." He grumbled.

Ezrah grabbed the doorknob and twisted it open, the door almost broke off it hinges as everyone looked in to see an empty room. Cavall rushed in and went over to the big open window and rested his front paws on the sill and looked out, whimpering lightly again while sniffing the air.

"Oh, my god! He left, that fool left!" Joe said as he marched in.

"Why would he do something do foolish?" Ezrah went in next, he could tell that the dusty window had been opened very recently. "What is he up to?"

"He was clearly worried for Wayland's safety. I believe he wanted to go help." Asimov stated plainly.

Radcliffe approached them from behind and heard everything. "I get why he would help the big green guy, but why did Red go with him too?"

Chloe turned her head to him with a small frown. "I doubt he convinced her to go. If I had to guess, she followed him."

Ezrah left the room quickly, dashing back down the hall and into the room where everyone else was waiting for them. Hiromi was about to say something before Ezrah passed him and stepped into his Power Armor. Once he went in, the plating closed on his exposed body and reached an arm over his shoulder to grab the laser rifle.

"What's going on? Did you not find them?" Hiromi asked frantically.

"No, Louis left, probably to help Wayland and we believe Victoria followed him." Ezrah answered.

"That damn idiot. Why is he sticking his neck out for that monster? He's gonna get himself killed!" Hiromi cursed.

Joe checked his Webley quickly. "That's enough from you. Wayland's apart of our group and I won't let you talk shit about him or anyone else for that matter."

Radcliffe drew his Hardballer from its holster. "Wow, that's a nice thing to say, Joe. Maybe you aren't such a wrinkled old grouch after all."

"Get your drunk ass moving, Radcliffe! You're wasting time!" Joe snapped at him. Once he turned away, Radcliffe held out his middle finger high and proud.

"Hiromi, we're goin' to go look for him." Ezrah began to say. "Stay here, the plan hasn't changed. If we're lucky, we'll find them before anything else goes off the rails."

Hiromi on the other hand hated the plan to standby. "We can help, there's no need for us to wait here."

"I know you all can. But our mission is still a recon. We've lost too many people as it is, let's not get into another fight unless absolutely necessary."

"Hey, we need to get moving if you don't mind." Chloe called, waving her hand in the air to him.

Ezrah turned away and went over to the group before Hiromi could continue the argument. The former Brotherhood member sighed to himself, wishing Hiromi could understand that charging in won't help anyone and cause more needless death. They stepped out the building in a line with Joe in the lead and Cavall following at his side, sniffing the air for Louis and Victoria's scent and followed the trail.

()()()()()()()()()()()

Louis stayed low to the ground, going around the power plant and avoiding the entrance because going anywhere near it was nothing short of a suicide dive. He was searching for a side entrance and hoped the Super Mutants didn't have any guards in that area. Soon the front entrance was gone and he came around the corner. The coast was clear so he went over to the wall, cringing every time the gravel under his boots crunched. He lowered the ticking on the Pip-Boy's Geiger counter setting and kept checking it over and over every few seconds any radiation. A power plant was usually one of the most heavily irradiated places in the country for obvious reasons. He followed the wall, looking back and forth to keep an eye out for trouble. Finally he had a stroke of luck and spotted a side entrance with a raised concrete level, and the door was cracked open.

Louis dashed over to a pile of oil drums, thinking for a moment they were actually radioactive waste barrels. He peeked over the barrels and double checked the entrance. It was now or never, and he didn't even have a clue if there was anyone on the other side of the door. He took a deep breath, inched passed the barrels and got ready to dash before the sound of footsteps caused a fearful chill run down his spine. A hand grabbed him on the shoulder, a surprisingly small hand that held tight and pulled him back. Once Louis got a look at the person his fears went away, that is until he saw the look on Victoria's face.

"Are you out of your mind?" She asked, pretty much convinced he was.

The Vault dweller took a deep breath to calm down. "Don't we have to be a bit out of our minds to survive in the Wasteland?"

Victoria replied with a punch to his shoulder, just enough for him to get the point. "Don't joke! You were about to charge into a building full of Super Mutants and do what exactly? Get in Wayland's way and blow the whole operation?"

Louis couldn't find a rhetoric to that, he knew she was right, but even so. "I get what you're saying, but I couldn't just stand around and wait. Wayland isn't like them, and if they pick up on that then there's no tellin' what will happen."

The redhead sighed and looked to the entrance he was about to go through. "I can't talk you out of it, can I?"

Louis looked back to it. "Well...you certainly can try. Are you gonna go back to the others?"

"And leave you by yourself? Not a chance. I have no choice but to follow and watch your back." Victoria reached for her bow and drew an arrow, figuring that if they did run into any Super Mutants, a silent weapon won't expose them. "You care a lot for Wayland, huh?"

"It's not just Wayland," Louis looked back to the entrance. "I'd be worried about any of you if for some reason one of us had to go into something alone. "You, Wayland, Doug, Chloe, Joe, Cavall, Inez, Asimov, and yes, even Radcliffe. I believe we're all stronger together."

Victoria smiled a little to that. "You're...a really selfless guy, huh?"

The two quietly dashed over to the door, hearts pounding in their chests in fear of a Super Mutant coming out any second. But once they reached the door, nothing came out to greet them. Louis slowly pulled the door open as Victoria drew her arrow back ready to fire, and then slowly loosened it after not seeing anything on the other side. Louis went in first with Victoria watching his back before closing the door. There was no turning back for them at that point, now they too had entered the den of Super Mutants with no backup.

()()()()()()()()()()

"Again...who are you?..." Al demanded more harshly.

Wayland finally snapped out of his confusion and answered in his dumb downed voice. "Uh, I am Super Mutant. Who else could I be?"

Al frowned in annoyance and put his arms behind his back, clearly not amused. Wayland felt a drop of sweat run down the back of his head as the albino began to pace from side to side, looking Wayland up and down. "Where did you come from? You're not like the others. In fact, I don't think I've ever seen a Super Mutant with your shade of green."

"I...I came from far away. My entire kin was killed. Want to join this one. Where is the leader? Is...it you?" Wayland said in hopes that the albino will stop looking him over.

Al on the other hand frowned deeply once more before something came to mind. "Follow me..."

The albino didn't wait for Wayland to object or say anything else, he had no choice but to do as told and followed. Al lead Wayland up many flights of steps and floors until reaching his floor, finding less and less Super Mutants as they went, almost as if they were avoiding the area. Al finally came to a stop in front of a large metal door, and Wayland began to feel that something was off. The albino pulled the heavy door open and let him go in first, once Wayland was in, Al closed it and gave him a moment to look on in awe at the large room filled with strange chemistry sets, terminals buzzing with data and other things that Wayland couldn't identify even if he tried.

His confusion only worsened with each passing moment. "Uh...where the leader?..."

"The fool isn't here. It never likes coming up here." Al answered while coming around. "And I didn't bring you here to meet it. I have questions. And you'd be smart to answer."

Wayland tensed up, he considered reaching for his AK-47. "I, uh, don't know what-"

Al raised his hand up to silence. "Stop. You're just embarrassing yourself." He lowered his hand down. "I know you're not like the rest of the knuckle draggers."

Wayland finally lost the fight of deception. "How did-"

"I know?" Al interrupted. "I could tell by the look in your eyes. A lot of people don't know it, but a Super Mutant that is different from the rest have a sort of 'glint' if you will. A slight hint of their former humanity." He turned away for a moment. "As if there's a microscopic piece of the person they once were. It's like the old saying, eyes are the window to the soul. If you believe such nonsense."

"Then why did you bring me up here?" Wayland dropped the dumb act in his tone. "Just to find out that I'm not like them?"

"Partly, yes." Al began to circle him, arms behind his back again. "There's something more to you, I can tell. A shade of green I've never seen. You're not a remnant of The Master's work, although I doubt you even know who that freak was. And you're not from D.C. either, there's plenty of those rejects all around. And you're not like the ones in Boston, your color doesn't match theirs." His eyes slowly traced him from head to toe. "In fact, your body is practically perfect. No bulbous lumps of mismatched muscles, no uneven limbs. It's almost as if you're one big, musclebound human who is green. So I must ask, who are you...and where did you come from?"

His eyes seemed to darken after asking that. Wayland could practically see the blood pumping through his blue veins under the skin of his face. A rustling of papers and other things falling off a table in the far corner drew their attention. Thaddeus came out from the dark corner, stretching his arms up after having a quick nap before continuing his work and holding a stack of papers in one hand.

"Al? Al, is that you? When did you get back? And how long have I been asleep?" He questioned while flipping through the papers, all of them filled with data and notes. "I came back here to go over the data one more time and took a nap." He looked up from his pages and finally noticed Wayland. "And who are you talking to? Who's thi..."

His voice suddenly froze, the papers fell from his hands and splattered out all over the floor at his feet. His hands began to tremble and took a step back, his face going almost as pale as Al's skin.

"Thaddeus, what's wrong?" Al asked, showing a surprising amount of concern as he looked to Wayland.

"You're not...you're not supposed to be here! You're not supposed to be alive!" Thaddeus took another step back. "There's not supposed to be any of you left! This isn't possible!" He ran towards a nearby table, almost slipping on the papers as he grabbed the drawer and tugged it open, almost pulling it out and sending the contents falling to the floor. "You're not supposed to be alive! You're not supposed to _alive!_ " He took out a handgun, checked to see it was loaded before aiming right towards Wayland.

Al's eyes widen and quickly lunged to the side. "If you need to shoot, wait until I'm out of the way!"

Wayland stood more confused then all of them, something pricked at the back of his mind. The last thing he ever expected to see was a human walking around freely among the Super Mutants, let alone one that seemed to know him. Strange memories surfaced, if only for a moment. A sealed room. Strapped to a large table with metal clamps and strange wires all over his body. Several strange humans in lab coats looking at him behind a big glass window. Alarms blaring in a long hall. Running for his life before seeing the sun for the first time. Wayland snapped out of his blurry flashback thanks to the sound of a gunshot followed by a bullet whizzing over his head.

Thaddeus grumbled and held both hands on the gun tight. "Fucking abomination! You should be dead!" He fired off three more shaky shots, all of them flying all over the place and hitting everything but Wayland.

The confused Super Mutant lumbered back, turned sharply and ran into the door, flinging it open and barreled down the hall in a panic. Wayland needed to get out, the mission had gone out of control and needed to warn the others. Unaware that they too have made changes to the mission.

Thaddeus lowered his arms, the gun hanging loosely in his right hand. His skin still had a pale shade to it and a cold sweat across his brow. Al gritted his teeth and stomped over to Thaddeus and placed a heavy hand on his shoulder, almost making the man crumble thanks to its weight.

"Have you lost your damn mind?! What were you thinking, firing a gun off like that?! You know it took forever to get all the equipment and you almost made them target practice!" Al shouted, tempted to toss him across the room.

Thaddeus finally came back to reality and looked up at the albino. "That Super Mutant...where did it come from? How long has it been here?"

Al blinked a few times. "It just arrived today. Some of the others told me it was looking around for the leader to ask if it could join. I've never seen anything like it before. But that doesn't explain why you went all crazy...er. Why does that one have you freaking out?!"

Both of Thaddeus' fists clenched, he almost pulled the trigger of his gun. "It was...it was before your time and it's too long to explain right now. We need to get that thing back, find out how it survived and kill it! I can't have any of them running around in the world!"

"But Demon is waiting for the new batch of Super Mutants. We're ready to do it right now."

The back of Thaddeus' left hand swung out and struck Al across the jaw. The scientist would regret that later when his hand began to bruise. "That idiot can wait until the end of time for all I care! The priorities have changed! Hunt that reject down, bring it to me, and I'll decide what to do with it!" He placed the gun back on the desk and headed for the door. "Now where are the damn ogres?! I need them to help and keep the rest of the rabble in order!"

Al growled deeply and stroked his jaw. "By the way, your aim still sucks..."

()()()()()()()()()()

Louis and Victoria watched from the end of a hall as two Super Mutants walked by, never noticing them. The two stayed close and low, pressing their luck with every step as the amount of Super Mutants grew. They came to a stop at a turn, another small group passed through at the end. They were seeing more and more as if being summoned somewhere.

"Louis, we're gonna get spotted at this rate." Victoria whispered.

"I know, I know." He responded. "I must admit...I'm starting to regret my choice."

"Oh, so now he does..." She rolled her eyes.

Louis glanced back to her for a moment. "Just for the record, I did want to go in alone."

Their conversation came to a stop when the sound of heavy footsteps marched down the hall behind them. They spun around and saw two strange Super Mutants coming their way and closing in. Big and bulky with unusual skin color and pulsing veins and long arms with blank eyes. They both looked to each other, not sure what to do as the beasts looked their way.

()()()()()()()

Wayland lost his way easily, so many questions kept running through his mind. The man in the lab coat that seemed to know him, did he also know about his radiation power? He wanted to turn back around and force him to talk, he got the feeling the scientist had something to do with making Super Mutants thanks to all the strange lab equipment. Wayland came to a stop to catch his breath, he had no idea where he was right now and feared the man and albino would soon tell the Super Mutants about him.

"Hey! Who are you?"

Wayland felt his blood run cold as he looked over to two new Super Mutants. One with a metal shard sticking out of its head and another with an axe for an arm on the left and missing apart of its lower lip. Demon looked Wayland over, even it was unfamiliar with him.

"I said, who are you?" It demanded again, that was twice in one day Wayland had been asked that.


	36. ALL OUT RESCUE

**CHAPTER 36: ALL OUT RESCUE.**

" _People ask the difference between a leader and a boss. The leader leads, and the boss drives." -Theodore Roosevelt._

Doug and Inez and their grouped looked at the giant Super Mutant with mouths slightly agape. Tiny flies buzzed around the body, mostly concentrated at the head where the meat was shredded and still bloody. Doug drew his sawed-off and slowly inched around the body until reaching the head, almost gagging at the sight of its mangled face.

"I get the feeling an explosive did this thing in." He waved for them to come over. "It's dead. And even if it was still alive, I doubt it would be much of a threat."

Inez and the group came around, still not wanting to take any chances so they moved slowly. But as Doug said, the Behemoth laid dead in a massive puddle of its drying blood. Doug put his shotgun back in its holster, Inez tapped the Behemoth's finger with the toe of her boot to see if it would twitch. The settlers on the other hand had a pale shade to their faces.

"I didn't...I didn't know they got that big." A woman with dark skin stammered. "Do they all get that big?!"

"If there was even a dozen or two of them, they would tear down our home in no time!" A man with a bandanna around his head spoke, looking like he was about to run.

"Everyone just calm down." Doug looked to them. "I know this thing is scary, but think about it, if there were more of these giants, then they would have attacked you by now."

"And it shows they can die like anything else." Inez said with confidence to help Doug reason with the settlers.

Another one pointed to the ground. "After pumping who knows how many rounds into it! Look around, there's casing all over the place. That has to be half their ammo!"

Doug and Inez felt a little defeated to those words. One quick look around showed the battlefield littered with fresh casings and even a few of Chloe's plasma cartridges and Ezrah's microfusion cells. One had to be careful while walking to not slip and fall on any of them.

"Okay, fair point, but only because a small squad of them was fighting it." Doug said as he kicked a few casings aside. He looked around, the evidence of the battle was impossible to deny, and they spotted the Behemoth's weapon and could see the damage it inflicted everywhere."

"To be honest, I am actually amazed no one was killed..." Inez said to herself.

"Not helpin'..." Doug said to her. "We can't stop now. We're so close to the power plant. Let's forget about this monster and count our blessings they're still alive and fighting."

With some protests and voices of complaint, the company moved on and left the Behemoth and their thoughts about it behind to rot away in the open with plenty of critters that will come to feast on it very soon.

()()()()()()()()

The two abnormal Super Mutants were closing in on Louis and Victoria. Yet the brutes didn't speed up their pace or even seem to notice them, and the hall was lit bright enough to see anything in it. Not wanting to let the Super Mutants get the drop on them, Victoria frantically reached for her 10mm SMG to spray them with bullets. But Louis thought something was very odd about their behavior, the abnormals should have seen them by now at the range they were and getting closer with each step. He quickly flung his hand out and stopped her from taking aim. She turned to question what he was doing and saw him roughly tapping his lips with his index finger, telling her to stay quiet. He reached down and grabbed a chunk of concrete on the floor that fit in his hand. Quickly and carefully, he tossed the concrete chunk through the air. Victoria thought he was out of mind thinking a piece of concrete was going to do anything to them, but instead it flew between the Super Mutants and landed several feet behind them with a clunk that echoed in the hall.

The abnormals suddenly stopped in their tracks and turned their heads to the sound before turning fully around and went back the other way to investigate where the sound came from, passing the concrete chunk that laid on the floor. Once the abnormals were gone, Louis and Victoria let out the breaths they were holding.

"What was that about? I thought you were going crazy throwin' a concrete chunk at them." She said to him.

"Honestly, it suddenly came to me." He chuckled softly. "I thought it was weird they didn't see us despite being so close."

"What, do you think they're blind?"

"Doubt it, they moved too comfortably down the hall and side by side. Almost perfectly in sync." Louis scratched his chin for a moment. "I'm guessing they have very poor eyesight or short depth perception. So I wagered a guess and thought sound might attract them. Looks like it paid off, let's just be glad they don't have noses like a dog."

"There's a scary thought. As if Super Mutants aren't dangerous enough." Victoria looked back down the hall, thinking they might come back.

"And speakin' of said beings, we better get back to looking for Wayland." Louis said. "Something's going on here and I think we unknowingly crashed the party."

"Don't we always?" Victoria asked as they continued on.

()()()()()()()()()

Wayland didn't need to be told that he was currently standing in front of the leader, and he also couldn't take his eyes off the piece of metal sticking out of Demon's head, and didn't seem notice its growing frustration towards him. Demon hated it when anyone stared at it, just one of the many thing that could set it off into a violent rage. Splitter curled its shredded lower lip in suspicion, it too had never seen a kind like Wayland before.

"Where did you come from? I not know you." Demon questioned. But then a grin spread across its rough face. "Are you new? Did the science man just make you?"

Wayland stepped back, unable to give the leader an answer. He looked back the other way, fearing the albino was gonna come around any moment.

Splitter stepped forward and raised its axe arm. "Hey, Demon ask you question! Where you from?!"

Wayland had to start talking before they got even more suspicious. "I come from another group that was wiped out. And I want to join this kin. Are you the leader?" He hoped.

"I am. _I_ lead this kin!" Demon boasted. "And soon we have a new army for me to lead and wipe out any humans we see!"

That was all Wayland needed to know. He thought about using his AK-47, his hand only inches from it. But at his current position he couldn't take the chance in case more were on the way, he found it odd that the leader was alone with only its second in command following. "Then let me join. I am a great fighter, and I will kill all weak little humans!" He spoke in his dumb voice, hoping it would convince them.

Demon grumbled and looked him up and down, eyed his rifle while scratching its chin. It was almost impressive that Demon seemed to be deep in thought about what decision to make. But before Demon could give its answer, Al barreled into the hall, panting a little heavily.

"There you are!" He shouted, marching down the hall fast. "Demon! Splitter! Stop that one! Quick, before it gets away!"

Demon and Splitter looked to each other completely bewildered, Al rolled his eyes, cursing them for being so damn slow to everything that didn't involve fighting and killing. Wayland grabbed the assault rifle hanging from his shoulder and raised it up. He figured the least he could do was take out the one called Demon, once a Super Mutant leader falls, the rest fight over who will be the next one very soon. Just as Wayland was about to pull the trigger, Splitter swung its left arm out clumsily and struck the barrel of the rifle with the side of its axe. The rifle went off, lighting the dim hall with its barrel flashes as bullets pelted the wall on the right. A stray bullet grazed Demon's shoulder, which triggered it into a blind rage. The leader charged forward, grabbed Wayland by the neck and slammed him into the wall on the left. The two started exchanging heavy punches, but Demon's fists hit much faster and more wild, leaving Wayland heavily dazed after being struck in the face.

Splitter raised its axe up and waited for an opening while they were fighting. Wayland still held the assault rifle in his right hand and gave Demon a hard shove with his free palm to give him an opening to fire. However, Demon lashed its hand out and grabbed the barrel and forced it upward. Once again Wayland ended up wasting more bullets into the air as the two struggled to take the gun from each other while Splitter closed in. Wayland saw him and quickly gave Demon a quick kick in the waist that sent it staggering back and got his gun out of its hand. He barely had a moment to avoid the axe blade that slashed hard against his metal chest plate.

The plate snapped like cheap plastic and sent the broken metal and leather falling to the floor and leaving a gap showing his left pec. Splitter sluggishly swung again, this time Wayland stepped back a little more as the axe missed by inches. The second in command always swung uncoordinated, treating its weapon more like a club than an actual axe. Al approached from behind, keeping his eyes on Wayland's rifle before lunging forward at full speed. Wayland happened to look back just as Splitter swung downward with its axe. Out of pure reflex, Wayland grabbed the axe by the hilt and held tight with one hand. Splitter went wide-eyed as Wayland spun himself around, dragging the second in command across the floor and slamming into Al.

Their bodies collided and went flopping down to the floor. Splitter's axe twisted loose from its slot as Al tried to shove the second in command off his body. Wayland finally had an opening, he spun back to Demon and pointed his assault rifle to empty what was let in the magazine. Five bullets fired off before the gun clicked empty, Demon growled in rage and pain from the bullets that dug into its chest armor and saved it from any fatal wounds. Wayland grumbled to himself and reached for a new magazine as a wet thud and explosion of pain came from his back near the shoulder.

Splitter's axe was lodged in his back, detached from its arm cap. Wayland turned around to see that it was Al who threw the axe, considering the expression on his face being a mix of anger and satisfaction. He felt faint for a moment and placed his arm against the wall for support. Demon screamed and charged forward, Wayland barely had time to get out of the way as the leader's fist smashed deep into the concrete wall. Wayland staggered back, his shoulder felt heavy thanks to the axe as Demon turned its fist in the wall and ripped out a big piece of concrete and hurled it at him. Once again Wayland only had a moment by rasing his left arm in defense and the concrete chunk smashed against his gauntlet made of welded scrap and shattered into pieces. Wayland was starting to get overpowered by the three, and the axe in his back was making it difficult to move his arm. So he turned and ran, leaving a trail of blood droplets.

"Dammit!" Al cursed. "It got away! Help me capture it! Thaddeus wants it because that one isn't normal! Hurry and bring it back alive!"

Demon was already on his trail without Al telling it to capture Wayland. Whatever Thaddeus' reason for wanting Wayland didn't matter to Demon, once someone or something attacked it, there was nothing any of its kin could do to stop the leader until it got its bloody payback. Al scoffed in annoyance and began following, wondering if he would be able to stop Demon from killing the newcomer as Splitter followed to get its axe back.

()()()()()()()()

Ezrah and the wanderers closed in on the power plant and got ready for a fight, but for some reason the Super Mutants went in once they started getting within range. At first they feared the Super Mutants spotted them approaching and went inside to get more. But several long minutes passed and none of them came back out. They stopped at the employee parking lot entrance, the fence around it looked ready to collapse at any moment thanks to rust.

"I don't understand," said Joe as he scanned the area with his combat shotgun. "Why did they go inside? They didn't see us."

"I am not detecting anyone at the windows or on the roofs." Asimov informed. "So it's unlikely they are waiting to attack from above inside."

"If that's the case," Chloe paused with worry. "Then Wayland, Louis, and Victoria might have been discovered!"

"Let's not jump to that right away." Ezrah said as they passed onto the cracked pavement. "At this point it's safe to assume they made it inside. Which means we have no choice but to go in."

"Uh, yeah, fuck that shit!" Radcliffe laughed unenthusiastically. "We go in, we're as good as fucked! And I didn't get out of Paradise's Raid just to go into another den of killers!"

"Yeah, you'd know from experience, wouldn't you?" Joe said lowly.

"If we want to get them out alive then we have to go in." Ezrah held his laser rifle tight. Going into a place filled with Super Mutants was nothing new, yet something he could never get used to. "Stay behind me. My Power Armor can handle anything. Let me be your shield."

"Ugh, I'm beginning to see why Louis likes this guy..." Radcliffe rolled his eyes to that.

"Don't think we can't handle ourselves too." Chloe said with her plasma rifle raised. "Most of us have been inside a place filled with Super Mutants before."

"And got caught and almost fed to strange creatures with weird bodies and three tongues in their mouths..." Joe reminded her. Cavall gave a small bark, as if agreeing with the ghoul.

Asimov came beside Ezrah, the laser mounts coming out from his forearms. "Then we're in agreement. Let's not waste anymore time before we're too late."

The group marched ahead, moving through the parking lot while keeping an eye out for any traps that might be resting between the rusting cars. They came to the door and stopped for a moment, Ezrah gestured them to hold while slowly opening the door in case a few nasty surprises were waiting for them on the other side. The entrance was clear, so they quickly filed in and closed the door behind them carefully. Once they were in they formed up, Ezrah and Asimov in the lead with Cavall at their side to sniff out the missing three, and Joe, Radcliffe, and Chloe watching the back.

()()()()()()()()()()()

Louis peered out through a tiny crack of a door that was once a janitor's closet. They hid in it when a large group of Super Mutants were heading in their direction. To their luck the closet was empty and didn't seem to be in use at the time, giving them the perfect place to wait it out.

"That's the fourth patrol that we've seen." Victoria whispered to him. "We can't avoid them forever by hiding."

"Yeah, I know." He responded, whispering too. "But it's either hide or fight. And it's just the two of us. I don't like those odds at all."

"Perhaps we should call it quits and turn back." She suggested. "I doubt there's a janitor's closet in every hall."

"I know we should, but we've come so far." Louis grabbed the latch and slowly opened the door. He looked both ways before they both stepped out. "Wayland's gotta be around here somewhere. We're bond to come across him."

"I hope he's safe." Victoria looked down one end of the hall as Louis looked the other way. "I wonder if everyone has noticed we're gone?"

"At this point, no doubt. Which is why I'm glad Doug couldn't tag along. He'd kick my ass after the stunt I pulled."

"Don't be surprised if everyone else want to." Victoria said as they continued on. "I'm worried they might attempt a rescue. Cavall could probably sniff us out."

"Oh, shit," Louis came to a stop. "I didn't think of that..."

"Are you serious?" Victoria looked to him with bewilderment. "You know that dog loves you to pieces."

"I didn't think of it!..." He ran a gloved hand through his chestnut brown hair. "What should we do now? They might be inside right now!"

Victoria held her 10mm SMG at the ready. "If they are then there's nothing we can do. Just follow the sound of gunfire and we'll find them."

"Guess you got a point." Louis held his AN-94 tight in his hands. "Looks like we can't stay out of trouble for long."

()()()()()()()

Wayland finally stopped running, the pain in his back was becoming too much. He leaned against a wall and reached behind to pull it out. His hand gripped the long hilt and gritted his teeth from the sting and began to pull. He heard the wound around his skin squelch, the axe blade was in deeper than he thought. His teeth clenched hard as he gave one more tug and pulled the blade out with a pained shout. His back felt numb for a moment and leaned against the wall for support and looked at the axe blade painted with his blood. And he could still feel the blood trickling down his back.

"Wh...what am I gonna do now? That was the leader, and it knows who I am..." Wayland panted while looking at the axe in his hand. "I need to get out and warn the others. It might be too late for the humans down below!"

Three Super Mutants approached him from behind, Wayland could hear them because of their heavy and clumsy steps. He turned to face them, they were following his trail of blood out of curiosity. Their eyes looked up to Wayland and spotted the dripping axe in his hand and pieced together their own ideas on what happened.

"That one has Splitter's axe! That one kill Splitter!" The one in the middle shouted.

They began marching towards him as the one on the left shouted. "Get that one and bring it to Demon! Our leader will make this one suffer!"

Wayland huffed heavily and pointed his assault rifle at them. "Why can't I get a break?" He opened fire on the approaching Super Mutants, giving the hall a quick sweep a few times as their lifeless bodies collapsed to the floor.

More shouts came from the down the hall and Wayland cursed himself for being so rash. He couldn't fight them all and his injury still stung horribly and it made him wonder if it cut into his ribs. He spun around and ran, his wound stinging with each step and still holding the axe, figuring there was no sense in tossing away a useful weapon.

Wayland ran blindly, still clueless on where he was or what floor for that matter. And looking out the window didn't help either with his search for a way out. He went down a flight of steps, almost tripping on the last one before lumbering down the hall. He came out into an open floor, above the second floor had collapsed from age and left that open with the edges big enough for people to walk along with the twisted rebar, hanging wires, and busted pipes as the only form of useless rails. Any thoughts that Wayland had on being safe for the moment went away as soon as he saw more than four dozen other Super Mutants hanging around in the open floor. And just like three he shot down, their suspicions began to grow upon seeing the axe in his hand. Wayland wished he tossed the weapon away now.

"Guess I'm fighting all the way!" He flung the AK-47 up and fired into the crowd of Super Mutants.

It caught them off guard, several fell to the floor bleeding to death. Even those armed with guns couldn't even try to aim properly because of how crowed the room was. Wayland knew he couldn't shoot them all down, he didn't have enough ammo, so the only other choice for him was to fight his way through. He hurled the axe with great force and the blade found its mark between the eyes of a charging Super Mutant and went falling backwards to the floor. Wayland curled his left arm up and leaned sideways so his shoulder was pointing out and charged into the crowd like a battering ram. He plowed in hard, sending several rows of Super Mutants falling back into the already cramped crowd. The force of the impact broke the armor around his left shoulder as he started to get surrounded. He shot down a few more coming after him from the right, then spun around and socked a random one in the jaw. Another wrapped its arms around him from behind and tried to put him in a choke hold. Wayland reached back and grabbed the Super Mutant by the back of its neck, his nails digging in before he pulled it over his shoulder and tossed it into the crowd. He gave another Super Mutant a kick to the stomach, then another a punch to the face, followed up by another burst of gunfire from his assault rifle. But his gun finally ran out, and the Super Mutants were closing in on him from all around.

()()()()()()

Louis and Victoria heard shouting and gunfire from down the hall. And from the sound of the noise, it seemed to be a big concentration of Super Mutants. The two held their weapons up and ready and carefully headed in the direction of the noises. They came out at the end of the hall and came to an abrupt stop upon seeing that the floor was gone and they could see the floor below with dozens of Super Mutants fighting. But after they stepped back into the hall and got a better look, they could easily see it was Wayland fighting alone.

"No, it's Wayland!" Louis pointed his AN-94 into the crowd of Super Mutants. But Victoria's hand shot out and forced him to lower the barrel down. "What are you doing? We have to help Wayland!"

"We can't," she looked down to the fight below for a moment before looking in his eyes. "If you start firing on them from here, they will only find us and attack. And that won't help Wayland either."

Louis gritted his teeth and lowered the gun more. "But we can't...we can't just do nothing. They're goin' to kill him!"

"What other choice do we have? We can't kill them all this way! And more will be coming soon!" She argued, keeping her voice low.

Louis looked to Wayland as he was pulled to the ground, his weapon wrested from his hand along with several more pieces of his mismatch armor. Al came out into the open floor to see the fight, along with Demon and its second in command came up beside the albino.

"Figures," Al grumbled. "Of course it would take so many Super Mutants to take down only one. You must be real proud of them, Demon..."

The leader took offense to that. "Quiet! We have it like you want! What does your science man want with it?"

"Hell if I know..." Al shrugged. "All I know is Thaddeus seems to have a history with it."

"And it would be a waste of time to explain it to you." Thaddeus said, coming out from the hall and looked at the leader before turning to the Super Mutants that held Wayland to the ground. "Tell them to bring it to me, I'm going to end this myself."

"Try not to miss this time..." Al spoke, earning Thaddeus' angered glare.

Wayland couldn't see anything but hands trying to hold him, along with his body struggling just to move. His anger grew, the feeling of desperation pushing him to his breaking point. A bellowing scream suddenly came out of Wayland and made the entire room fall silent and still. Louis and Victoria could see a faint green glow coming from the floor where Wayland yelled before several Super Mutants went falling back, some flung into crowd as if they weighed nothing. Wayland lunged back onto his feet, his veins glowing green and bright with radiation running through him like blood. Louis looked down at his Pip-Boy and saw the Geiger counter going off, the volume still down very low.

The tables of the fight had turned as Wayland lashed out at the first Super Mutant in front of him. His glowing fist smashed right into its face and sent in falling back into crowd, face bleeding heavily and caved in. He lashed out at the one to his right, grabbing it by the arm and throwing it over his shoulder, snapping the bones in the elbow and socket as it landed into its kin. He reached out and grabbed two by the sides of their head with his big palms and clashed their skulls together with a very loud crack. The open floor turned into a wild mess of Super Mutants trying to escape in every direction. Their large bodies making it next to impossible without tripping and trampling over each other. The fight continued as Wayland only seemed to get brighter and grow stronger with each passing minute.

Al and Demon stepped back as a dead Super Mutant landed near them. The leader stood fuming with anger over how pathetic its kin were failing against Wayland. Al on the other hand couldn't help but stand in awe at Wayland's savagery and how easily he fought them off.

"How...curious." The albino said before looking down to Thaddeus. "What do you think could have caused this strange mutation?" He waited for a response, most likely a snide one. But the scientist didn't say a word. "Thaddeus? What's wrong?"

Thaddeus stood stiff and shivering. A cold sweat ran down his brow. "That's not possible. The experiment was a complete failure. It was all a failure!"

"What you babbling about now?" Demon gruffly asked.

Thaddeus looked up to it with gritted teeth. "Again, nothing you would understand!" He spat before cupping his hands around his mouth and shouted. "Ogres! Come to me now!"

The two eavesdroppers from above heard the call and looked to the source and found themselves baffled to see a human standing next to a pale white Super Mutant.

"Who the hell is he?" Louis asked, despite knowing he wouldn't get an answer.

"Is he on their side or something?" Victoria asked, not expecting to get an answer either. "It seems that way to me. And why is that one next to him so pale?"

"And what did he call out to? Ogres?"

His answer came in the form of loud stomping coming from the hall on the other side of the second floor from across the two. They finally had their answer to what kind of Super Mutants they came across earlier as they emerged from the shadows and leaped down from the second floor. And to make matters worse it was four of them that leaped down instead of two, and Louis and Victoria weren't sure it was the same two from earlier.

As they landed, one of them landed on a Super Mutant that was dying on the floor and ended its misery for good. The crowd went silent and backed away to watch. Wayland spun around to the new attackers, his anger made him blind to reason and only saw the unknown types as another enemy to rip apart.

"Dammit, he can't think with a clear head while in that state!" Louis cursed while fighting the urge to jump in.

Down on the first floor, Thaddeus cupped his hands around his mouth again. "Ogres! Subdue the glowing Super Mutant and bring it to me alive and in one piece!"

Upon that command, the ogres sprung into action, charging in while standing in a close row. Wayland did the same, the five large beings clashed as their spectators watched in anticipation to the coming blood fight. Wayland clocked one in the face and sent it staggering back yet seemingly unfazed by the powerful blow. He followed up with a punch to the gut at another ogre and left a very noticeable fist shaped bruise. Another looped its arms under his armpits and held him in place as the fourth one landed a few blows to his head and chest. The attacks left Wayland dazed for a moment before fighting back by kicking the ogre in the stomach with one foot that sent it falling back.

Wayland attacked the one holding him from behind by smashing his elbows into its sides until its grip finally came undone. The glowing Super Mutant spun around fast and slammed his open palm into its face, held tight, and threw the ogre down to the floor. But the counterattack left him open to the two he attacked first, one of them wrapped its long arms around his waist and hoisted him into the air. In that moment, Wayland was high enough to see the second floor with Louis and Victoria looking down from above. The next thing he knew his head and shoulders were slammed onto the concrete floor. His vision u wildly and went spotty black before opening his eyes just in time to see a big foot looming over his head. He rolled out as the ogre's foot stomped down and cracked the concrete floor. Wayland flipped onto his stomach and threw out his fist and punched the ogre in the side of its knee. It stumbled forward as he leaped up and gave it another blow to the throat, hoping that would prevent it from attacking for awhile. He wanted to turn his head up and yell for his friends before realizing that will only put them in harm's way. Instead, he needed to find a way to alert them of the humans being held captive down below.

A flying fist reminded him of the fight at hand and quickly countered it with his arm, breaking what remained of his makeshift gauntlet that protected his forearm. Another ogre grabbed him by the shoulder and side to pick him up again. Wayland twisted away and ended up breaking off a big piece of his crumbling chest armor. The back part fell off after and clattered on the floor, leaving the glowing Super Mutant standing naked except for his leather pants that were already falling apart to begin with.

The four ogres came after him from all sides, throwing punches and kicks all over Wayland. He tried to fight back, but each time he attacked or defended himself he still ended up taking a hit somewhere. An ogre from behind finally ended the fight in one single blow. It picked up a huge chunk of concrete that was the floor and raised it up high before bringing it down on the back of Wayland's head and shattering it into pieces. His skull felt like it burst open, he could feel hot blood running down the back of his head and neck. Thanks to his strange radiation power the wound closed up in moments, but the blow left him dazed with a loud ringing in his ears. The glow of his body faded away as he fell to his knees, the fight in him gone.

"About time!" Thaddeus called from across the room and over the cheers of the Super Mutants. "Now bring it over here!"

The ogres obeyed without hesitation, even their broken bones and ripped flesh already starting to heal on their own as two of them grabbed Wayland by his arms and shoulders and started dragging him across the floor.

Louis gritted his teeth and got ready to jump down. Victoria threw her arms around his body and pulled him away from the ledge and held on as tight as she could.

"How is breaking your legs going to help?!" She asked, almost saying it too loud once more.

"I was going to land on one of them..." He answered while feeling a wash of defeat. "Dammit. How did this all go wrong?"

The ogres forced Wayland back to his knees, held his arms back as another one grabbed his bloody scalp and forced him to look up. Thaddeus stepped back for a moment in fear of his radiation, making Wayland wonder how he knew about it. Demon growled and started walking forward to cave Wayland's head in before Al stepped in between and gave a warning frown. But soon, the scientist felt safe enough and kneeled enough so he could be face to face with him.

"Can you understand me? Well, answer!" He shouted, getting just a little closer to meet his eyes. "How did you survive? How long have you been able to do that, the radiation charge? And when did you escape? Are there more like you? Answer before I have my ogres make you talk!"

Wayland spat some blood out and looked up. "I don't...I don't know what you're talking about."

That earned him a sharp slap upside the head, although Wayland barely flinched to it. "Don't lie! There shouldn't be any more of your strand! You were all failures, the entire project was scrapped and purged. So that begs the question of how a failed prototype is still alive and doesn't seem to have full control of its power."

"Who cares?!" Demon shouted with growing impatience. "Get back to making the humans into Super Mutants!"

"We'll get to it when we get to it!" Al said while stepping in between. "It's not like you all have anywhere to be right now!"

Wayland suddenly remembered what he set out to do in the first place as the scientist and the three Super Mutants began to argue with each other. He tried struggling against his holders but they only forced him back down and held tight. Then he also remembered seeing two of his friends on the second floor and hoped they were still there and listening.

"The humans! You're keeping them down below!" He yelled out, surprising the scientist. "They're all being held in the decontamination area!"

Thaddeus gave a puzzled look to Al. "I think the ogres hit this thing a little too hard on the head. Its speaking nonsense."

Al on the other hand felt this wasn't a matter of a simple head injury. The way he yelled out, as if trying to alert someone. "Perhaps," he looked up to the second floor, "or perhaps not..."

"Who cares what its rambling on about." Thaddeus turned away, flicking his hand to the ogres. "We'll take it back to the lab. I'm going to get to the bottom of how this one is alive. Ogres! Follow me."

As commanded, the ogres pulled Wayland up to his feet and started dragging him. One of the Super Mutants walked over and presented Wayland's AK-47 to Demon since it demanded to inspect all new weapons and decide who gets what. The leader snatched it and handed it over to Splitter, not in the mood for inspection at the time. Al couldn't shake the feeling that something was off.

"I'll let you have your fun with that reject or whatever you call it." The albino went another way, pointing for two Super Mutants to follow him. "I have something else to check out."

The two up high backed away from the edge after quickly understanding Wayland's loud message to them after figuring he must've saw them at some point.

"Wayland must have found the hostages!" Louis said to her.

"But now they've captured _him_ , what should we do? Split up to save both Wayland and the captives?" Victoria asked.

He shook his head. "We're already risking it on our own. I doubt he knows it's just the two of us. Wayland wants us to save the people before they are turned into Super Mutants. Then we'll break him free."

"But what if we don't have enough time to get the people out and save Wayland?" She asked as Wayland was pulled into the hall. "And we can't just free the people. It will be chaos with them running around and they will only get caught again or even killed."

Louis rubbed his balled fist against his forehead. "Damn, you have a point. And it doesn't help that they will be unarmed too. But if we don't help the people than we have a new army of Super Mutants to deal with."

Victoria looked back down to the first floor filled with many Super Mutants shambling about and starting to drag off their dead and tend to the wounded as best as possible. She sighed, knowing what was the best thing to do right now. "Then...we must help the prisoners first. But even when we free them, how will we get them out without getting recaptured?"

"We'll just have to play it by ear." Louis answered. "And thanks to Wayland, he's exhausted most of them and injured or killed quite a handful. That gives us a slight edge, even if it is a small one."

The redhead nodded as they turned and walked back down the hall they came to find a way down to the decontamination floor.

()()()()()()()

Ezrah stepped into the turn of the hall, laser rifle raised and scanning around for any threats. Once he saw that it was clear he signaled for everyone to follow. Their pace had been slow going to say the least. They had to take their time to not get caught unaware. They took their positions with Ezrah, Chloe, and Asimov in the front, and Joe, Radcliffe, and Cavall watching their backs. They decided to stop for a few moments to pick another hall that felt would be best.

"Seriously, what are we doing?" Radcliffe asked with a huff and threw his LMG over his shoulder. "We're going in circles or some shit..."

"Do you want to take the lead?" Joe asked him snidely.

"Well, obviously not! Ezrah's a walkin' shield! Why would I ever get in front of that?"

Ezrah turned his head to them and asked. "Where did you find this guy?"

"A sinful place where the worst of humanity linger around in a pointless existence." Asimov answered.

Radcliffe scoffed and started wandering in the opposite direction. "Whatever. I'm getting tired of all this sneaking around."

"Where are you going? Stop before you get spotted!" Joe said while reaching out to him.

"Relax," Radcliffe rolled his eyes as he reached the turn, "there's nothing here but us-"

He bumped into something big and staggered two steps back. His confusion lasted only a moment before he realized what he bumped into a wall of yellowish green flesh. Radcliffe snapped his head up to look at the Super Mutant glaring down on him, even though he was a tall man, their current enemies were still taller. And to make things worse the one Radcliffe bumped into had two others standing behind it. All of them barely clothed and holding various melee weapons like bats with spikes or long pipes with big clumps of metal welded to it.

The lead Super Mutant looked down on Radcliffe and growled. "Hey! How you get out?!" The other Super Mutants behind it began to come forward.

Radcliffe quickly took several more steps back while slinging his LMG forward. "Here's how, fuck sticks!"

Ezrah suddenly dashed towards him, the footsteps of his Power Armor thudding loud and clear with each step. "No, Radcliffe! Stop!"

The former Raider ignored his words and opened fire in a sweeping motion, laughing almost as loud as the gunfire. In moments the Super Mutants fell to the floor in heavy heaps and riddled with bullet holes. Radcliffe spat on them to get out some of the blood that splashed into his mouth. Ezrah grabbed his shoulder and spun him around, even he could tell the former Brotherhood man had an angered look in his eyes under the lenses.

"Have you lost your mind?! Now all the Super Mutants will know we're here!"

Radcliffe pulled away from Ezrah's strong cold hold. "It was either shoot them down or get caught. And I prefer the first option for everything!"

"And by shooting first you've exposed us all! Now we'll have all the Super Mutants barreling down on us!"

"Yeah, nice going, Radcliffe!" Joe called to him.

Chloe stood with her plasma rifle aimed down the hall and ready. "I hate to say it but it was unavoidable. One way or another we would have had to fight."

"Even so, but I was planning on using my blades to end them quickly." Ezrah groaned and stood ready with his laser rifle. "It would have been messy but keep us hidden for a little longer."

"Very efficient." Asimov complemented.

Cavall's ears suddenly perked low and slowly lowered into a pounce position and began to growl deeply while baring his fangs. As expected they began to hear shouts coming their way, and a lot of them from the sound of it. Everyone turned their eyes to Radcliffe, each with a deep frown telling him that he started the coming fight.

Two Super Mutants came into view carrying double bladed axes. Chloe went on the attack first and fired four bolts of plasma that sent them falling to the floor with burning green holes in their chests. Another one came in, this time armed with an assault rifle and began firing off at them. Ezrah easily predicted it and got in the way just in time, bullets ricocheted off his armor plating until the Super Mutant ran out and returned fire with a few laser bolts.

Several more shuffled their way down the other end of the hall, armed with melee weapons and a few in the back carrying guns. Joe kneeled down while aiming with his Sako rifle, seeing the Super Mutants practically trying to crawl over each other gave him an idea. He fired three quick shots at the hip of the one in the lead and sent it tripping to the floor. The rest followed, all falling into a big pile of thrashing limbs trying to get back up. Radcliffe grinned at the opportunity to kill as many Super Mutants as he could, so he stepped into the middle of the hall and swept the area with his LMG again. Over fifty rounds later he stopped firing as the squirming bodies went limp on the floor with blood slowly flowing their way.

The group didn't wait to see how many survived Radcliffe's wild assault and turned away to flee the scene. Their plan had now shifted entirely, what was supposed to be an infiltration mission to recover two of their own turned into a full on battle with more Super Mutants closing in from everywhere.

()()()()()()()()

Hiromi stood at the entrance of the crumbling building where he and his squad waited, the assault rifle hanging loosely in his hand. Many thoughts ran through his mind, on one hand he was angry with Ezrah going in with strangers that were just passing through not even a day ago. But on the other hand he had great respect for Ezrah, who arrived in their hour of need and never asked for anything in return. His thoughts were suddenly interrupted by the sound of footsteps coming around. In a panic he almost dropped his rifle, the squad inside saw him fumbling around and quickly assumed attackers were approaching. Hiromi managed to raise his rifle just in time to see a few pairs of hands held up in defense.

"Don't shoot! Don't shoot! It's us!" Doug waved his hands up.

"We came to help!" Inez said next.

Hiromi gasped and lowered the rifle before he accidently fired. "For god's sake! I could have killed you people! Don't you know our protocols when out in the field?!"

"We didn't know you guys were here until just a minute or two ago." One of the men said to him.

"He's right, we just happen to spot you standin' by the door." Doug stepped forward. "We have a delivery to make. Inez managed to fix Ezrah's Gatling laser. Where is everyone?"

Hiromi couldn't find the words to answer that right away. He even looked back to his squad hoping one of them would answer before doing it himself. "The Vault dweller, he snuck out and went into the factory. The redhead seemed to have followed him not long after. Ezrah decided to go after them and brought the rest of your friends along with him."

"I knew it! I knew it! I knew it! I _knew_ it!" Doug slapped his forehead heavily with his open palm. "I knew he would do something like this!"

"And why would he do something like that?" Inez asked.

"Apparently he was worried about your Super Mutant." Hiromi answered her. "I for one think it was a foolish thing to do for such a thing."

Doug frowned but let it pass for now. "Sorry if Ezrah and my group is making you all feel left out. But from where I'm standing the mission has shifted. We got a working Gatling laser for that guy clomping around in metal armor, and I can tell you guys are gettin' restless. Wanna shake this mission up more?"

Hiromi smiled to that as his squad crowded behind him, all with the same idea as well. "Then let's do it. And end this nightmare once and for all. And get Super Mutant's weapons too." He pulled back the slide of his assault rifle.

()()()()()()()()()()

It wasn't long since Louis and Victoria started searching for a way to the lower levels. They had just started walking through another hall section after going down another flight of stairs. It proved hard to find any reasonable direction thanks to all the signs and directions faded and unrecognizable from age.

"I think we got turned around." Victoria said to him.

"Right, maybe we should double back. I thought I heard gunfire just a few minutes ago." Louis replied with worry. "But it sounded very far off. Something's going on, but what could it be?"

"I thought so!" A sharp voice cut out from the darkness, startling the two in their tracks.

They barely had a chance to fully turn around before their weapons were snatched roughly from their hands by two massive white palms and thrown down. And just as fast as their weapons were taken, those two big hands grabbed them tightly by the throats and hoisted up off the floor. Their backs were slammed against the cold wall and held there in place, the hands around their throats held so tight they could barely make a pained sound. Louis started reaching for his Desert Eagle before the hand holding him squeezed tighter.

"If either of you two even so much as think of reaching for your other weapons, I'll crush your throats like rotten twigs!" Louis and Victoria got a better look at their strangler, the same pasty pale Super Mutant working with the scientist that took Wayland away. Al leaned in, they could make out the blue blood veins underneath his skin. "So there are little rats scurrying around here. Looks like the gas chambers are getting two new editions..."


	37. POWER PLANT COUNTDOWN

**CHAPTER 37: POWER PLANT COUNTDOWN.**

" _The art of communication is the language of leadership." -James Humes._

The glowering albino squeezed their throats once more, almost enjoying their strained gasps for air. He loosed his grips just enough to allow them to get a deep breath in before reaffirming his hold.

"Now, let's see here," Al eyed them back and forth for a moment, thinking of what questions to ask. "I doubt you two are scavengers. Or Raiders for that matter." He looked down on Louis and noticed his jumpsuit. "A Vault dweller? A bit far from home, aren't you? I never thought I'd see one in person."

"Con...grad...ulations. Now...you have..." Louis struggled to say sarcastically.

"Don't get cute." Al warned. "And who's this with you? She doesn't look like a Vault dweller."

"Let me go...and I'll show you...who I am..." The redhead sneered.

"I think not." The albino pulled them away from the wall and turned. Two other Super Mutants came out from the shadows, the ones that Al commanded to follow. "Now let's take a trip down to the decontamination floor. I overheard that you two were looking for it. And I'm happy to show it. Get their weapons on floor." he ordered the two. "And as I said before, you two try anything and I'll crush your necks. I'll toss you both into the cells with the rest of the humans. Get the rest of their weapons!"

The albino began walking, carrying them by their necks as if they weighed nothing in his grip and feet dangling just a few inches from the floor. The Super Mutants picked up the AN-94 and 10mm SMG and went over to strip their remaining guns and bladed weapons, even Victoria's bow and arrows and carried them too. Louis and Victoria hanged helplessly in the white Super Mutant's grip, and any attempt to break free would only earn them a quick death as they struggled just to breath.

()()()()()()()()()

Thaddeus pushed the metal door open and let his ogres to drag Wayland in. Every now and then he struggled against them, but the seemingly mindless Super Mutants kept their grips held firm. Demon and Splitter reluctantly stepped in, the leader hated going inside the lab. The tubes of colorful flowing liquids annoyed it, the buzzing terminals bothered its ears, and all the rest was just worthless to it. Demon hated anything that couldn't used as a weapon, or eat, or protect its body.

Thaddeus pointed to a clear area away from the most important equipment while searching for something. Wayland was dragged once again and forced onto his knees and held tight to keep him in place. The scientist began lightly humming to himself, digging through stacks of papers and holotapes and other piles of random junk littering his tables.

"What you doing now?!" Demon demanded, growing more and more impatient with each passing moment. "I want you-"

"-to make more Super Mutants!" Thaddeus finished. "I know, I know, I _know!_ Once I deal with this one, I promise you I will go straight down to the gas chambers and gas all those people." he set aside another big stack of papers. "Now, please, can you let me work? Go back down and prepare your kin, I'll get you when the time is right."

Demon growled and scratched the scar tissue around its metal shard before turning back to the door and stormed towards it while muttering with Splitter following right behind while trying to reattach its axe blade. The door closed with a heavy slam, followed by fading footsteps echoing down the hall. Once the two were gone, Thaddeus went back to work without interruption. Wayland lifted his head and looked around the lab again since he didn't have time to observe the place before. He also counted all the ogres that were now up to eight, hoping that was all of them.

"What are you going to do to me?" He asked, thinking he might finally get some answers about his foggy past. "Do you know who I am?"

Thaddeus picked up a piece of lab equipment for a moment before putting it down. "I do. Mostly at least. I wasn't directly involved with the project at the time, but I did offer a huge portion of my research. But in the end it was a failure." he turned his head to him. "Except for you. Which is quite the enigma."

"Then what is it? Tell me! Why am I so different? Who was I before?"

"It won't matter," Thaddeus replied and opened a drawer. "What would be the point in telling you anything? It would all go over your head and I don't have to explain anything to you. All you need to know is that your batch was defective and purged. All except for you, and your radiation flare actually works from what I've witnessed. That means I must collect samples."

Wayland gave a confused blink. "Samples?"

"Ah, finally!" Thaddeus pulled out a large kit, filled with sample gathering tools. "I suppose Al is right. I should clean this place more often." He opened the kit and started rummaging through it and assembled the things inside.

Wayland jerked for a moment before the two ogres held him still again. "Stay away from me!"

"Don't struggle. You will only make it worse." Thaddeus held up a device that shaves off skin for sampling. "First, I want to see how your flesh is affected by the radiation. And if you start lighting up like a nightlight, one of my ogres will snap your neck." He grinned and started walking towards him. "Now hold still. I want to get this over with and finish the disposal job for good."

()()()()()()()()()

A few more streaking bolts of lasers bore into the metal plating of a charging Super Mutant, it screamed in pain and fell to the floor. Chloe stood at the back of the group as two more Super Mutants came storming in with big blunt pipes. The Synth raised her plasma rifle and turned the dial on the side near the trigger and pulled. A stream of fire shot out from under the plasma barrel and doused the two, filling the long hall with smoke and burning flesh and screams. Radcliffe stood away from them, enjoying himself after finally finding his nerve to fight. He cackled like a madman every time a Super Mutant came within range of his LMG and filled them with lead.

Once the current wave was finished, Ezrah lowered his laser rifle. "Form up!" He commanded like a general.

"You're not the boss of me!" Radcliffe snapped.

"Just get your ass back over here already!" Joe warned him.

"Where's Cavall?" Asimov asked as he searched.

Their attention fell to the sound of a rough pained scream, followed immediately by the sound of flesh ripping and than sudden silence. Cavall wrestled a Super Mutant to the ground and tore out its throat, the blood stained his dripping maw before he looked to them with puppy eyes.

Chloe threw her plasma rifle over her shoulder. "You know, it's kinda scary how he can switch from lovin' housedog to vicious attack hound..."

Joe nodded. "I'll say..."

"Trust me, if you've seen what kind of hounds some Super Mutants groups keep, you'd be happy for having Cavall around." Ezrah said to them.

"Cavall, come here, boy." Joe called with a click of his tongue.

The hybrid started padding towards them before coming to a stop. He sniffed the air and picked up two scents he knew all too well. Before anyone could figure out what caught his interest, the large canine barked before turning and bounding down the hall at full speed. The group gave chase before he ended up crossing paths with another group of Super Mutants that were on the attack.

"What's gotten into that mutt now?" Radcliffe snapped, huffing heavily.

"He's got a scent! Which could only mean one thing!" Joe said to them.

Ezrah made his armor pick up speed. "Let him lead the way! We don't have much time!"

()()()()()()()()()()()()

Doug and Hiromi came stepping around the corner, followed by Inez and the entire squad of ten and the five more that came with the two. One carried the Gatling laser strapped to his back, another carried the Avenger minigun as another man followed right behind with the ammo backpack, and another lugging the quad-barrel, all four of them walking in the center of the group. The three in the lead stopped for a moment to pick the best path to choose next, Hiromi looked back to his people and saw the looks of fear and worry on their faces. It was taking all their courage and nerve to stay and most likely end up fighting.

The farmer tilted his head towards Hiromi. "Uh, listen, maybe it's a good idea to give your people a bit of a pep talk? Calm their nerves and such?"

Hiromi looked back for a moment again and nodded. "I see your point. Give me a few minutes." He stopped and turned to his squad.

"Pep talk?" Inez asked. "Startin' to sound a bit like Louis there."

Doug looked back to her. "I know. Just don't tell him that."

"Everyone, listen up." Hiromi began, speaking with authority. "I know it's scary to be here. I know you all have every reason to flee back to our home. And we will...once the threat is over! But now it is finally time to bring the fight to their home! Let them know what it feels like to have enemies storming at their door!"

The entire squad cheered to that, forgetting they were in the very heart of enemy territory. Hiromi gave them a few more words of encouragement while Doug and Inez stood waiting patiently. But a sudden burst of gunfire echoed down the hall as a Super Mutant with a busted looking assault rifle ran towards them and bellowing.

"More humans here?! We capture you!"

Hiromi spun on his heels and dashed ahead, raising his assault rifle in kind. Doug and Inez were already going on the attack with their handguns and opened fire on it. The Super Mutant went down after several rounds from all three of them, it slumped against the wall and said one final empty threat before falling dead to the floor.

They stood for a moment before Hiromi turned back to his people and issued a command. "More will be coming! Get in formation, time for us to be the attackers!"

()()()()()()()()()

Al huffed deeply as he came to another turn, cursing himself for still not fully knowing his way around the power plant. "I swear, one day I'll nail signs all over this place if I have to."

Louis and Victoria remained silent the entire time, barely able to breath as their bodies started to get numb from hanging by their necks for so long. And every time they twitched or stirred too much the albino gave their necks a tight squeeze, warning them to stay still. Just as Al turned another corner, he suddenly stopped abruptly and took a step back. Louis and Victoria couldn't see what was behind and that worried them before hearing a familiar deep growl.

Cavall lowered himself into a pounce with his hair standing on end and teeth bared. He snapped his jaws as his ears lowered and slowly pawing forward, even his yellow eyes seemed to glow in the dark. Al found himself stuck, if the big canine attacked he would be defenseless, and if he let the humans go he would flee. Cavall didn't wait for him to decide as he suddenly lunged with a fierce bark. Al was left with no choice now, so he tossed the two down to the floor just as Cavall leapt. The albino had only a moment to react and lifted his arms to attack. But the hybrid proved faster as his teeth sank into Al's right forearm, throwing him off balance and falling to the floor. After that it became a tussle of pained shouts with angry growls and flesh starting to rip. Al's arm soon went from pale white to dark red and smearing all over his chest.

Once Louis and Victoria fell to the floor, they rolled slightly and took deep breaths, feeling the soreness of their throats. The other two Super Mutants from behind finally caught up and saw the fight between Cavall and the albino and started shouting and took aim with their stolen weapons. Louis and Victoria were still gasping for breath and unarmed to help in any way.

"Louis! Victoria! Stay down!"

Several red beams flew over their heads followed by rapid bursts of gunfire and Radcliffe's wild screams. The Super Mutants flopped down to the floor like bags of rocks soon after. Once the shots died down, Al finally pulled Cavall off his arm by the scruff of his neck and tried to swing his big fist but only got another nasty bite on his knuckles before Cavall twisted away and leaped to the side and attacked Al's lower leg near the knee, tearing the leather covering his pale leg and drew lots of blood.

Radcliffe smirked and aimed his LMG at Al. "Just one more ugly fucker to deal with!"

Joe threw his hand out and pushed the weapon aside and snapped at him. "No, don't! You'll hit Cavall, you idiot!"

Ezrah on the other hand couldn't help but stare at the strange white Super Mutant as he finally pulled away from Cavall and quickly crawled across the floor towards the turn and scrambled back to his feet and rushed down the hall, limping heavily with every step.

Asimov and Chloe helped Louis and Victoria back on their feet. "We feared the worse for you two!" The Synth said to them.

"Yeah, what was going through your mind when you decided to go off on your own and drag Victoria into it?!" Joe snapped at the Vault dweller.

Victoria held her hand up. "To be fair, I followed him."

"And I'm guessing this good boy sniffed us out." Louis kneeled a little to pet Cavall as he approached. "Did you now? Thanks, good buddy."

"Louis, I'm glad you two are well, but I must ask," Ezrah approached them, his steps making light thuds. "What was that white Super Mutant? I have never seen anything like it. What's going on here?"

"God, how I wish I knew." Louis stood back up. "But from what we've seen, there's a whole lot more to this place than just a den for Super Mutants. Someone is helping them." The two began taking back their guns and strapped them back on.

The whole group looked at the two before Ezrah spoke. "Wha...what do you mean?"

Victoria stepped in. "We managed to find Wayland, but we couldn't help him. He was fighting almost all of the Super Mutants until four new ones came in."

Louis continued. "They weren't like the white one or the rest here. They're strong, fast, and act as if they have no will of their own. There's a man that was giving them commands."

"A man? As in a human man?" Ezrah asked, finding harder and harder to believe.

"It's true. He wore a white coat and gave those strange Super Mutants all kinds of orders as they attacked Wayland. We heard him call them ogres." Victoria spoke.

"Jeez, what did we get ourselves into now?..." Joe grumbled.

"This is...a lot to take in, to say the least." Ezrah said with a sigh.

"Look, Ezrah, we have to save him. We don't know what's going on, but I do know that Wayland's in danger. They captured him and took him away." Louis said to him.

"But we can't forget about the people either." Victoria reminded him. "We overheard Wayland say they got people down below that are gonna be turned into Super Mutants soon!"

Ezrah took a few steps pass the group and looked down to the floor. "I'll do it. I'll find your friend. The rest of you go free the people. And find out just what's going on here."

"And just how are you gonna find Wayland?" Radcliffe asked a bit snidely. "This power plant is huge!"

"Thankfully that's the easy part." Ezrah looked down at the blood leading into the turn of the hall. "Our pale abnormal left me a trail..."

()()()()()()()()()

A group of four Super Mutants barreled down the hall with the settlers hot on their tails while firing upon them. The mutants than ran through an open double door and scattered off in all directions. Hiromi gave the command to push the attack before any of them had a chance to join up with the rest of their kin.

The entire squad poured out into the production floor of the power plant. And the only things that remained of it was rusted pipes and tubes from above on the high ceiling or at the sides of the walls. Everything else was crumbling machines that were beyond any salvageable use other than scrap. The only thing the Super Mutants did with the old machines was tear them apart to make armor and crude weapons.

As the squad began to come out of the opening, a hail of bullets greeted them over their heads. Super Mutants poured in from the other end of the long floor, several more appeared from above on the walkways at the walls. To their surprise, it seemed the Super Mutants had lead them into an ambush.

"Get behind cover! Hurry!" Hiromi quickly ordered.

The squad did as told while staying within close range to toss ammo around. The one's carrying the heavy weapons placed them on the floor and soon joined in the attack. Doug and Inez grouped together and fired away with their handguns. The Super Mutants took defensive positions across the floor, attacking wildly and advancing slowly from cover to cover.

Doug spotted one coming in from the left and gave it a few rounds to the chest. It staggered from the hits before turning back to safety. Inez was far more lucky as she got one in the neck and jaw, it too staggered from the pain and fell to its knees as Inez gave it two more in the head to finish it. After a few minutes it seemed that every remaining Super Mutant in the power plant came to their location. Hiromi took a moment to observe them and get an idea on their numbers and how to spearhead the attack better.

"The Super Mutants," he shouted while ducking back behind cover. "I can see at least five dozen! I admit the odds are stacked against us!"

Doug holstered his Browning and switched to his Winchester. "Keep pushing the attack! We've come too far to give up now!"

Inez fired four more rounds that put down a Super Mutant flanking from the right. "It's not the giving up that worries me!" She fired two more shots until her gun clicked empty and took cover to reload. "It's getting overrun by these guys!"

Doug ducked back down behind cover as several bullets struck it. "Just keep them back! If this is all of them, then they won't take any suicidal risks!"

"Try to look for the leader!" Hiromi shouted. "Ezrah told us that Super Mutant groups often get disorganized when their leader falls!"

"Yeah, easier said than done." Doug scoffed as bullets pelted his cover.

()()()()()()()()()

Wayland gave a gritted groan as the thick needle punctured into the side of his neck. Thaddeus smirked as the gun shaped device drew blood and filled the sample bottle on the top. Finally it was done and Thaddeus pulled the needle out, rather harshly and gently unscrewed the bottle.

"What more are you gonna take from me now?" The Super Mutant demanded with a gritted sneer.

"Oh, did the needle hurt that much?" Thaddeus asked childishly as he put the bottle in a case. Inside were several other samples he took. One filled with several skin shavings. Another a vial of saliva, and another with sweat that still dotted his forehead at the time. He double checked the samples in the special case made to keep samples preserved for a long period of time. "Well, the worse has yet to come. I'm gonna need to dissect your brain, that's where all the really good samples are! So much to learn when you split a brain open!"

Wayland seemed to lose a shade of green to his face as he started to struggle once more. The ogres in response pushed him down to the floor until the side of his face pressed against the cold dirty linoleum. One of them grabbed the back of his head and made him look up to see Thaddeus holding a surgical saw and a large pan.

"What? Did you think I was just gonna let you go after I got my samples?" He walked over to an operating table, rusted and stained from age and past operations he did on it. On the wall hanging on pegs was a thick apron, heavy duty gloves and a face visor. "Like I said, you're a failed reject that is somehow still alive after all these years. So I'm killing two birds with one stone by, well, killing _you_ , and learning everything I can from your autopsy. Fun, yes? Well, for me. Not so much for you..."

There was never a time that Wayland wished he could light up with radiation. He squinted his eyes shut and thought of himself glowing like a beacon. But nothing he did made it happen, no matter how angry he got, or whatever he imagined to trigger it. The lab door suddenly flung open and quickly slammed shut. Al staggered over to a nearby table and fell on it, he barely managed to land his hands on it to stay standing as several of its contents rattled and tipped or fell off as he huffed for breath.

"What in the fuckin' hell happened to you?!" Thaddeus placed the surgical saw and pan down. "You're covered in cuts and blood! You're more red than white now!"

"I'm perfectly aware of how injured I am!" Al shouted hoarsely and slammed a fist on the table. "And it was a dog that did this to me! Or a wolf, or something like that! I don't know! It was too big to be either of those!"

Wayland blinked in confusion for a moment before it came to him. "Cavall! His name is Cavall." He said to them with a stern face. "My friends believe he's part dog and part wolf."

Thaddeus turned his head back to him. "And just how would you know its name? What's going on here?"

"My friends, that's what!" Wayland answered. "My friends and the settlers that you all have been attacking! They are leading an assault on this place! And if one of them attacked you, then that means they're on their way here now!"

Now Thaddeus lost a shade of color to his face and looked to the door and saw the blood across the floor leading to Al. "You fool! You literally left a trail straight to our door!"

"I was more concern with staying alive at that time!" Al said back, slamming his fist on the table again. "If their beast did this to me, imagine what it could do to you!"

Thaddeus gritted his teeth and growled deeply and practically pulled his hair out as he ran his hands through it. "What are we going to do?! We can't let our operation be exposed to anyone!"

Wayland lifted his head up as much as he could. "I can lead them away..." Both the scientist and the albino turned to him with mistrusting looks. "Let me go, and I'll leave you all in peace. I'm not gonna sit by and let my friends and those people get hurt! So what are you going to do? Open me up and look around, or let me go and keep your secret hidden?"

Thaddeus' fists tightened, his face turned red with anger as he chewed his lower lip. He looked to Al and the wounds he had before turning to his lab equipment and took a deep breath to calm down. "Pick him up."

Once more the ogres holding him did as told without delay. Wayland was back on his feet in a moment but still kept him held firmly. Al forced himself to stand fully up and staggered before regaining full balance.

"Don't be a fool! It will bring them right to us!" He felt lightheaded for a moment. "We're cornered here! They'll bust that door down and tear up this place before we can stop them!"

"You have my word that I will lead them away from this place. And you can continue doing whatever it is you're doing. Even though I get the feeling you are responsible for creating the Super Mutants that came from this awful place." Wayland looked them dead in the eyes, his freedom relying on a risky gamble that might prevent him from learning anything of his former life.

Thaddeus slowly shuffled towards him, hands folded behind his back. "And why should I believe you will do what you say?" He asked as he got face to face with Wayland once more.

Wayland frowned his hairless brows. "Because you don't have many choices left. Either let me go, or risk losing everything you've worked on."

He expected Thaddeus to flip out, or attack him while defenseless, or just order his ogres to kill him right there. But instead, he took a deep quiet breath and stepped back and gently spoke.

"Let him go..."

The ogres unleashed their grips. Wayland stumbled and rubbed his neck and arms and everywhere else that they held him. Al's disapproval could be seen on his face as Thaddeus turned his head to silence him before the albino could voice his complaints. Wayland stood still for a moment, fearing the scientist might change his mind. He headed for the door, keeping his eyes alert on the other ogres that seemed to follow his every step despite their blank stares. Finally, his hand grabbed the handle and started pulling it.

"Just so you know," Thaddeus spoke, Wayland stopped and turned to him, "we're not done here. I don't care how long it takes, I will find you and open you up. That I promise."

Wayland's lips trembled with anger as he pulled the door open. "Then I'll be waiting. And next time I won't be alone. I will get answers someday."

Thaddeus laughed in his throat. "A Super Mutant with purpose and drive. Now I have seen everything. Tell me, do you have a name too?"

The door was fully open by then and waiting. "It's Wayland. A name given by a friend." He stepped out and closed it, leaving without even looking back and began dashing down the hall.

After several moments Thaddeus huffed and looked to the albino. "Get yourself patched up, we're leaving."

"Leaving?" Al asked disbelievingly. "But we haven't even tested out the new FEV strain that you made."

He pointed across the room towards one of the fridges in the far corner. "I always keep a separate sample for further study if my current strain works well enough or has at least mostly positive results that might need improvement. It's enough to gas two people. We'll just find some useless Wasteland trash and gas them."

Al found a first aid kit and started getting out bandages and cloth. "And what about the humans that we spent months having Demon's kin gather?"

Thaddeus opened the fridge and looked at the vial in a special container. "What about them? They can get turned into Super Mutants, go free, or just rot in their cells. I don't care." He closed the fridge door. "In a way, this is a blessing in disguise. I've been wanting to leave for a long time and if this strain doesn't work, then it will be easier to dispose of one failure than a few hundred."

"Hmm, cold and calculating as always, Thaddeus." Al huffed with a frown as he started treating his arm. "I often wonder who values humanity less? You, or the Super Mutants?"

"We can discuss this another time. I still don't fully trust that Wayland." He snapped his fingers three times, calling for the ogres' attention. "Listen up, we're leaving! Begin the evacuation protocol!"

()()()()()()()()()

The distant sounds of gunfire grew louder with each passing step. It was only fifteen minutes since they began searching the lower level to free the captive people, yet they couldn't ignore the noise out of fear that it was more than just Super Mutants wasting their ammo. Louis was the first to step out into the vast floor just in time for a few bullets to strike the edge of the threshold where the double doors have been ripped off long ago. Joe quickly grabbed him by the collar of his trench coat and yanked him back in before he got shot.

"Who are they shooting at?!" Victoria shouted over the gunfire.

Chloe pointed across the room to who in question. "Look! It's Hiromi's squad!"

Asimov sharply turned his head and zoomed in on the settlers. His scan went off as his facial recognition processor picked up a very familiar person shooting from cover. "Inez!" he called with panic in his synthesized voice and dashed forward.

The Assaultron curled his left arm up to help block any stray bullets coming his way as they pinged off his body. In a few moments he crossed the entire battlefield and leaped over Inez's cover and landed on his feet with a scrape of metal against concrete.

"Asimov?!" Inez said with surprise while reloading. "You found us!"

"More importantly...what are you doing here?!" Asimov demanded. He stood up from cover and fired several laser bolts from his right arm gun and ducked back down. "You were supposed to stay at the settlement!"

"And then Doug and I got bored. So what?" She looped her gun over the cover and fired four rounds. "I'm not always gonna be able to sit on the sidelines!"

"You two! Argue later! Kill Super Mutants now!" Doug shouted to them as he fired off the last round from his Winchester and crouched to reload.

The rest of the team at the door opening moved back in a few feet to avoid stray shots. "What now?" Victoria asked. "We're not armored like Asimov!"

Radcliffe answered by cheering wildly out of the blue. "I was wrong! This is gonna be fuckin' fun!"

Before anyone could figure out what he was going on about, the Raider dashed from their safe spot and began firing off his SAW. He swept his shots while running, even pulled out his Hardballer and fired with his left hand while shooting the LMG from the hip with his right. By some miracle he didn't get hit as several Super Mutants fell to his rapid shots, even his Hardaller pierced one through the eye and out the back of its head. Radcliffe made his away across the floor and found a bit of cover behind some metal crates where two other settlers were hiding just as his Hardballer ran out.

"Well...he got across." Said Joe with a shrug of his shoulders.

"Gee, Joe, you almost sound disappointed." Louis looked back to him.

"I've worked with reckless people like him before." Joe had to speak up over the gunfire. "Reckless people get themselves and the people they're with killed! Just like this!"

"Radcliffe got lucky." Victoria spoke urgently. "We still need to get across and save those people being held captive before it's too late!"

Cavall stood ready pounce thanks to the gunshot noises that agitated him greatly. Louis leaned down to pet him so he would remain calm. "We just need a few moments to get across!"

Doug looked to where the Raider came from and saw his friends still stuck at the entrance of the other hall. "Hey Radcliffe, did you by any chance think to help them across too?!"

Radcliffe didn't answer right away, instead he attacked with another volley of bullets from his LMG, firing from the hip. "What?! I'm kinda busy right now!" He fell back down and started reloading his gun as steam rose off the barrel.

"Oh, forget it." Doug rolled his eyes in defeat and looked over to Hiromi. "Hey! Toss me the missile launcher!"

"It's kinda heavy to throw, don't you think?" Hiromi pointed out.

"Then slide it over! Whatever you need to do."

Hiromi stopped firing and reached behind where Wayland's weapons rested and grabbed the hefty launcher and aimed it towards Doug and Inez. With a hard shove he sent the weapons skidding loudly across the floor and ended up stopping just a few inches from their cover thanks to its weight. He sighed and quickly leaned over with his hand reaching out and grabbed the barrel end and pulled it over to safety.

Doug hoisted it up onto his shoulder. "Geez! Why is this so fucking heavy? People actually use this?"

"I don't know, big strong army men?..." Inez commented with a small grin.

Doug made sure the missile launcher was sitting on his right shoulder as safe as it could considering its weight. He stood on one knee and kept low before taking a deep breath and thrust himself up, knowing he would be standing exposed. "Hey, you guys over there! Get ready to run!"

A missile streaked out from the quad-barrel and flew across the room. The Super Mutants saw the missile coming and stopped firing to flee in all directions as it hit near some old machinery too rusted to really make out what it was as the explosion sent bits of metal flying everywhere. Doug fell straight back on his ass while the missile launcher flipped over his shoulder and landed behind him.

"Great! First I twist my ankle and now my shoulder feels like its been ripped right out of its socket!" Doug groaned through gritted teeth and rolled on his side.

The group from the hall quickly figured out Doug's plan and ran without wasting a single moment. They sprinted as Louis fired with his AN-94 and Victoria with her 10mm SMG. All of them quickly found a hiding spots just as the Super Mutants began shooting at them again.

"Doug! Am I glad to see you again! Is your ankle feeling better?" Louis spoke loudly, as if to forget about their battle.

His friend on the other hand looked at him with burning anger. "I am gonna kick your _ass_ when this is over! You got everyone dragged into this crazy mess!"

"Glad to see you're back to normal..." Louis sighed and leaned against the metal cover. "And I never wanted to drag anyone into this. I was worried about Wayland."

"And where is he? I don't see him." Inez asked she loaded a new mag and quickly counted how many she had left. "And Ezrah, what about him?"

"It's a long story. But to get to the point, he went to find Wayland. Hopefully just in time." Louis answered the two and to anyone else that wanted to know.

"And we have more pressing matters right now." Victoria chimed in. "We found out there's people being held here and about to be turned into Super Mutants!"

"Then you guys have to go free them!" Hiromi shouted while kneeling to reload. "We'll hold them off. We think this is all the Super Mutants left in the power plant! So even if there's still some left they shouldn't be too hard to take on!"

"Then Louis, Victoria, and Radcliffe, you guys go! We'll hold them off for as long as we can!" Joe loaded his Sako rifle a new magazine.

"Which, hopefully, more than a few minutes at this rate." Chloe said before standing to fire her plasma rifle.

"Radcliffe? Are you dumping him on us?" Louis asked.

"Yes!..." Joe and Chloe answered, rather harshly.

"Aw, fuck you guys!" Radcliffe sneered.

Louis looked towards the open double door, which was currently being struck by a stray bullet here and there. "Alright, give us some cover. Cavall, come!"

The four bolted from cover as the entire squad fired back, providing enough cover for them to slip through, despite Louis hearing a bullet fly over his head and hitting the ceiling above.

"Okay, follow me!" The Vault dweller said as they finally got out of range. "I have a good idea where the decontamination floor is. At least I hope so."

"And just how would you know?" Asked Radcliffe. "You've never been here before."

"No, I haven't. But back home in my Vault, study on building architecture in the United States is one of our school curriculums. And that includes power plants like this."

They turned left with Cavall pacing ahead. "Knowing you, I'd bet you were a good student." Victoria commented.

"As a matter of fact I was. Straight A's all the time!"

"I don't get it, why do you sound so proud of that?" Radcliffe asked, truly confused by it.

Louis turned his head to him with a confused frown. "Wow, Radcliffe, you really grew up wild, didn't you?..."

"Hey, I've gotten this far just fine. Don't you think?"

Louis and Victoria had no comment to that as Cavall barked a few times.

()()()()()()()()()

Ezrah came to a slow stop and looked down at the thinning trail of blood on the floor. He sighed in annoyance, although wasn't surprised since the albino Super Mutant could only lose so much blood while running. Ezrah pointed his laser rifle forward and began marching, thinking it could be very close by. His helmet's audio receivers suddenly picked up the sounds of thumping steady footsteps that were getting faster. He almost fired on reflex, but whatever it was that stopped him, he was glad as Wayland stepped out from around the turn, wearing nothing but his faded old pants of leather.

The former member of the Brotherhood lowered his weapon. "Wayland? You're wearing less of...everything...since I last saw you."

Wayland took a breath and looked back for a moment to make sure he wasn't being followed. "Ezrah, where's everyone else? Is it just you?"

He took a few steps towards him. "For the moment. Your friends are inside the power plant. Louis snuck in on his own and Victoria followed him. We met up with them just awhile ago in the hands of a white Super Mutant. Now they are with the rest of your group looking for the captured people. I volunteered to go find you. I get the feeling you know more about whatever's going on here than anyone else."

"I do, sort of." Wayland answered. "But I'll explain everything later."

"I agree. Seems like you lost your assault rifle. I'd offer you a weapon but all I have is my laser rifle."

"There's plenty of weapons here. I'll find one somewhere." He replied as the two turned back the other way and dashed off with Ezrah in the lead.

()()()()()()()

Several minutes of searching almost wildly, getting turned around, going the wrong way, and backtracking finally lead the three down a wide staircase into the decontamination area. They slowed down once coming into the right area, which was obvious once they saw the people behind the rows of thick panned glass and both sides.

"Something tells me this is the place." Louis said to them.

"Uh, duh, look at all the people here." Radcliffe pointed his hand out all over. "What else could this place be?..."

"Radcliffe, I didn't actually mean-" Louis sighed in annoyance and rubbed his temple. "Just go watch the entrance. Make sure nothing bothers us."

"Yeah, sure. Come here, Cavall..." he replied with a mock salute.

The people inside the cells began to crowd upon seeing the unfamiliar group. They banged on the glass and pleaded for them to save them. Louis and Victoria looked at the locks and saw that they all had an electronic feature that kept them magnetically locked. The only way to open them was to use a terminal, one that Louis spotted nearby. The two ran over to it and the Vault dweller plopped down in the seat and began typing on the keypad.

"Okay, okay, let's see what we got here. Quite a setup. That scientist, whoever he is, knows what he's doing. Let's hope they don't swing by anytime soon." Louis trailed on, eyes glued to the glow of the green and black screen.

The banging and clamoring got louder, all the people behind the glass began to fill with hope of freedom. Some started shouting even louder while others got into small fights as if that would somehow get them out faster while others stayed at the back. To them, any hope of getting free had left them after months of captivity and weren't going to get themselves filled with false hope now.

Victoria held her hands up said out loud. "Everyone, please. We're going to get you out. Just give us some time."

"Does anyone know anything about how this system works?" Louis called out loud as he turned away from the screen.

One man pushed through the crowd and placed his hands on the glass, the same man that pleaded with the scientist much earlier. "I do! Or at least...sorta..."

"Sorta? What do you mean?" asked Louis.

"There was a man here a few hours ago. He seems to have struck a deal with the Super Mutants!" he said to them.

"We saw him earlier too." Victoria went up to the glass. "Along with a white Super Mutant. But we don't know anymore about them either."

"Well, I guess it can't be helped." Louis turned back to the screen and continued. "Anyone else know about this place?"

"This gas chamber was set up long before any of us were captured!" Someone else spoke. "We think there were others here before us!"

"That would explain why there are so many Super Mutants in the first place." Louis commented before smiling. "Aha! I think I found out how to shut all this down and let everyone out!" he said loudly, to which the people cheered and pounded the glass.

But his smile soon flipped down as a warning sign popped up on the screen, along with a timer saying forty minutes and already began counting down.

"Oh, no! Oh shit. Oh, shit and oh, no!" Louis frantically typed on the keyboard in vain. "Dammit! I think I accidently triggered some kind of failsafe or security measure! There's a timer counting down!"

Victoria was now over to where he sat and placed a hand on his shoulder and another on the table. "A timer? So you mean the people are going to be gassed?"

"Well they ain't going to get a spa day, that's for sure!" Louis' teeth gritted as he shuffled through the terminal menu and found a few promising files. "Wait, I found something! There's information on...FEV? So he does have strain of it! How did this man get his hands on it? If the records in my Vault are any indication, FEV isn't something that you can find under a rock!"

"Maybe you should worry about those questions later and figure out how to open the cells?" Victoria urgently suggested.

"Right, sorry! Best not to panic right now even if we have thirty-eight minutes left..."

"Louis..."

"I know, sorry." He found a file and began reading it quickly. "Wait, I found something else! All the gas chambers are connected to pipes running through this floor. There's all kinds of notes here, guess that scientist never thought anyone who isn't a Super Mutant would ever log onto his terminal. And according to these notes, the FEV is in a liquid state and will be turned into a gas once they reach a certain point in the sprinkler systems. So if we take out the system that pumps this stuff...we can save everyone! Let's find the pump system!"

"Why not just shoot the locks?" Radcliffe asked and pointed his LMG at the nearest cell. "That will fix everything. Use your Desert Eagle. That's a magnum."

"Radcliffe, these locks are made for high security facilities. There's no way a gun will break it and we don't have any explosives." Louis explained to him, although he was sure Radcliffe wasn't listening. If he was even paying attention at all. "They're even a bit similar to the ones in my Vault, so it's going to take a lot of effort to break them. Even with explosives."

Victoria spoke to get him back on track. "Can't you just plug that cord thing on your Pip-Boy into this terminal like you did in that ruined town full of Synths?"

"That was the first idea that came to mind," Louis sighed. "But I don't see a port anywhere. We're gonna have to do this the old fashion way."

Radcliffe aimed his LMG at the lock again, the people on the other side quickly backed away. "Sure you don't want me to shoot the locks? Or even the glass? It is glass after all." He smiled, eager to fire.

"Radcliffe! Do _not_ shoot the locks, or the _glass!_ It's heavily reinforced and probably bulletproof!" Louis warned again as he found another file. "Okay, finally some good news. I found where the piping system is!" he rose from his seat. "Vic, come with me, I'll need your help."

The two dashed down to the end of the gas chamber and took a sharp turn to the right and ran some more until they reached a room filled with pipes, pressure tanks, and another terminal system with data scrolling on the screen and quickly went up to it. Hissing noises rose from the tanks and pipes, showing that pressure was building up as the needles in the gauges turned steadily towards the green.

"So...do we start breaking the pipes or something?" Victoria asked, not sure what to make of the place.

"In this case I don't think that would be wise." Louis began looking at the valves and levers on the pipes. "We have no idea which pipes this FEV is pumping through or how much exposer could turn us. And I think it's best we don't get a whiff of it."

"Then what else can we possibly do?"

Louis went over to the nearest valve and grabbed it. "Go to the terminal and look at the screen." She did as asked and looked at it, wondering what he wanted her to do. "I'm gonna start turning these things. I want you to read the screen and tell me if there's any changes. If we're lucky, maybe we'll close the right one and give us time to free everyone."

Victoria blinked nervously and looked down at the screen. "Uh, but I..."

"Okay, I turned it. Any changes?"

She curled her fingers as her fists trembled and even looked away from him. "I don't..."

Louis looked at her with a raised brow. "What's it saying? We gotta hurry if we're gonna-"

"I can't read!" She blurted out, the words echoed in the room and seemed to make everything go silent for an awkward moment. Victoria eyed the screen with a look of shame that Louis had never seen before. "I...I never learned how to read before Jeremiah and his father enslaved my entire village. My parents were starting to, but I forgot it all after so long."

Louis let go of the valve and approached her, forgetting they were running out of time. "You...could have just told me."

"I know..." Victoria looked away from his eyes. "I just...I don't know...felt stupid, I can't even help with something as simple as this."

"Hey, don't say that." Louis reached a comforting hand out to her. "It's not your fault. We'll just find another way, that's all."

Radcliffe ran into the room and took a quick breath before speaking. "Guys, what's going on here? The people are starting to get restless. They might even start fighting. Believe me, I've been in shit like that before. Minus being held captive by Super Mutants." He pointed back with his thumb.

"We hit a bit of a snag." Answered Louis. "Radcliffe, by any chance...do you know how to read?"

The Raider responded with a rough chortle. "Read? No. I never had need for that. What good's readin' when there's people and freaks out to kill you? Can't kill with words."

"Okay, new plan. Again." Louis grumbled and turned away from him. "We just have to find another way yet again."

"Why don't Radcliffe and me turn the valves and you watch the terminal?" Victoria suggested. "We can at least do that!"

"No, nice suggestion, but that won't work." Louis sighed, wishing it was that simple. "All the valves and levers have writing on them too. And you can't just turn and pull these things. Trust me, my Vault has far more sophisticated piping system than this. From water to gas and recycled air, mess around with the air ducts and piping system and things will go bad. Whoever that man is, he has this place set up just the way he wants it. For all we know he's got countermeasures against any possible sabotage."

"Dammit," Victoria cursed. "We should have brought Inez."

Radcliffe held his hand up. "Again, I suggest shooting the locks."

"And again, not going to work!" Louis placed his hands at his hips and began to pace. Thinking and muttering to himself until his head began to hurt. "The locks are magnetically sealed, made for high security. The only way to open them is either by the terminal or a key. Which I doubt is lying around here."

"Are those the only ways to open them?" Radcliffe asked him. "Can't you just hack the terminal?"

"There's no data port on any of them or Louis would have plugged in already." Victoria said to him, to which Radcliffe responded with a confused frown. "His Pip-Boy has a cord that can plug into terminals and give him control over it. And as I said, none of the terminals have one!"

An idea suddenly came to Louis, along with a smile on his face. "Vic, you're a genius!"

"I...am?" She asked.

"She is?" Radcliffe said, which earned him a punch to the arm.

"It's like you said, Victoria. I need to plug my Pip-Boy in and override the locks!"

"But you said there's no ports for your Pip-Boy's cable." She reminded him in confusion.

Louis looked at the device around his wrist. "Which is why I'll have to make one..."

()()()()()()()()()

The echoes of gunfire drew the Super Mutant and Brotherhood man towards it. Once they came into the light of the threshold, a battlefield laid before them. The remaining Super Mutants and settlers were at a standstill, yet as Ezrah could tell just from looking, his people were quickly running out of ammo because of their less frequent return fire and several others lying down thanks to their wounds.

"They won't last much longer! Once they run out, the Super Mutants will have no reason not to charge!" Ezrah said to him, pushing aside the many questions he was thinking right now.

Wayland looked to them and spotted several of his friends with the settlers. "Some of my group isn't here! They must have gone to free the humans!"

Ezrah moved his laser rifle to the side and stood himself beside Wayland. "Stay close to me. We're crossing the room to them. I'll shield you from the bullets."

Before Wayland could respond, Ezrah started running and gave him a light shove to his shoulder to run. Bullets bounced right his armor, barely noticing the hits as he returned fire. Four Super Mutants fell after a few laser bolts burned through their chests once Ezrah and Wayland reached the other end of the room. Wayland was the first to leap over and ducked down, followed by Ezrah as he kneeled to stop the ricochets off his armor.

He looked over and spotted the two they left back in the settlement. "Doug and Inez? What are you guys doing here?"

"Special delivery, just for you!" Doug pointed to the Gatling laser laying on the floor.

For the first time in months, Ezrah smiled happily. "You got it working again? It's been so long."

"Well, you can thank Inez for that. I just sat down a lot." Doug replied.

"If you really want to thank me," Inez reached over and pulled it across the floor. "Give it a test run."

Wayland looked for his weapons and found them lying nearby. He grinned a little and reached his big hand out and grabbed the ammo box backpack of the Avenger minigun. "Let me help you. We'll take them all out." He threw the straps on and secured the ammo box on his back. It felt cold against his bare skin yet still light to him.

Ezrah lifted the Gatling laser and flipped the cap cover off the firing button. The weapon made a charging noise as the rotating barrels on the inside spun around. "Alright, we'll end this for good. Do you know who the leader is? If we take it out, defeating them will become much more easy."

Wayland poked his big head up and looked at each remaining Super Mutant yet didn't their leader. "Demon isn't here! And neither is Splitter, that one has an axe for an arm. I don't know why they aren't leading the fight!"

"We'll worry about that later." Ezrah stood up and was greeted by a hail of stray bullets hitting his armor. "Let's finish this."

Wayland stood up behind him, using the massive power armor as a shield and holding the minigun as the barrels began to spin. But at the other end of the long room where the Super Mutants collected, their leader and its second in command were coming to the battle down a hall and keeping ahead of something. Above their heads the lights swung as the hall shook with the sound of heavy thudding, along with the clanking of chains and an object being dragged on the floor.


	38. NEXT MUTATION

**CHAPTER 38: NEXT MUTATION.**

" _I suspect any worries about genetic engineering may be unnecessary. Genetic mutations have always happened naturally, anyway." -James Lovelock._

Piles of papers littered the floor, several beakers and bottles fell and shattered without a care. The ogres moved at a shambling but steady pace, following their orders to the exact detail to the best of their abilities. Thaddeus sat in front of a terminal, next to him on the desk was a growing pile of holotapes with a strip of masking tape across the front of each one with words written in black marker and ink pen detailing what was on each one. Thaddeus muttered to himself as he looked at the data on the screen, he barely blinked at all since he began.

"No, no! Put _those_ papers in the container at the corner! Make sure they are filed neatly! I hate having to reorganize them!" He continued to give orders from his seat as he popped out a holotape from the terminal, put a strip of masking tape on and wrote the file name before putting in another blank. "And place the samples in that insulated container. Be careful! Put them in one at a time and make sure the refrigeration unit is on!"

Around the back of the room in the bathroom area, the albino just finished bandaging his wounds. The white gauze would have been almost hard to spot if it wasn't for the faint blood stains seeping through the medical pads. It would take a few hours for his healing to close up the deep bites.

"If I ever see that mongrel again, I'll skin it and make a pelt." Al sneered and tighten the bandage around his forearm.

"Al! Hurry up in there! I need you. The ogres can only do so much!" Thaddeus called to him.

He scoffed while making a mock strangling motion with his hands and even wrung them for good measure. He looked back at the mirror with a crack in its side. His dark purple eyes bore into his pale reflection, followed by a strange tingling in the back of his head. It was faded memories of his past, before he became a Super Mutant, always dancing in blurs with muddled sounds impossible to make out. And the one memory that was the even remotely clear enough to make out was one of a small arm reaching out to hold the hand of someone that looked vaguely like Thaddeus, but younger.

Al pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed, the memories faded away like night to day as he looked at his reflection again and thought back to something he said earlier. _'I could tell by the look in your eyes. A lot of people don't know it, but a Super Mutant that is different from the rest have a sort of 'glint' if you will. A slight hint of their former humanity'._ Remembering his own words filled him with anger.

The mirror suddenly shattered, the metal frame twisted around the white fist that smashed it. The shards fell into the sink and onto the floor, reflecting everything in its view, including dozens of Al's face from many different angles. Blood slowly trickled off his knuckles as he removed his fist from it, only a few shards were still in the frame.

"What was that?" Thaddeus called again.

"It's nothing!" He responded and looked down at his fist. "Just give me a damn minute!" He grabbed the medkit again and covered up his fist with more gauze and medical tape and washed off the blood.

He came back out into the lab and almost brushed into an ogre carrying a small crate. Thaddeus had the ogres drag out their carrier backpacks. They were large and black, filled with insulation to keep samples and Thaddeus' records safe and protected on long journeys. And they were made for the ogres to carry around strapped on their backs.

Thaddeus finally finished the last of his data loading and started placing the holotapes into carrying containers. "About time. We're almost halfway done as it is."

"Sorry if tending to my injuries is a problem for you." Al rolled his eyes at him. "But we still have a way to go. As I told you countless times, we should have kept this place more organized."

"Tell you what," Thaddeus turned away and grabbed another carrying case. "At the next place, you can set it up however you like."

"Sometimes I wonder why I even bother." Al sighed. He began by gathering samples, placing them on the table and told the ogres which packs to put them in and started checking the cases to make sure the batteries were fully charged. After some time, Al finally asked a question. "So where are we going? Back to your first lab?"

"As if!" Thaddeus scoffed. "We'll head west. That's where one of our fallback labs are." He picked up the strange briefcase like device and slipped it into his military style backpack. "If there's one thing about our mutual friends, they know how to secure a location and provide us with the resources and materials we need."

"Us and so many others." Al said with discontent. "I still don't trust them. We haven't even met them in person yet. Or how many there are."

"I have. At least the leader." Thaddeus sat back against his seat. "And we've been over this, they prefer secrecy. They scrutinize every single member they bring in. And as much as I hate to say it, but we need to be on our best behavior if we're gonna keep getting all we need to complete my project."

"But I'm worried they will get rid of us once they get what they want." The albino finished emptying a fridge filled with sample trays and placed it in one of the big backpacks. "It's what they're not showing us that I don't trust. We know they have much better materials and resources at their disposal."

"If they were gonna get rid of us they would have done it by now." Thaddeus decided to start packing his clothes. "My research is important to their plans. We'll talk more about this later, let's get out before the fighting is done."

Al withdrew his argument, for now. "Fine. I've grown tired of this place." He eyed the rectangular device again in Thaddeus' backpack and frowned at it.

()()()()()()()()()()

The back end of Radcliffe's tactical axe cut into the metal surface panel with a screeching puncture. He twisted it and pulled back hard, bringing the entire surface panel off its frame. Wires covered most of the back as the buttons on the surface blinked and faded out as Radcliffe twisted his axe tip out and placed the panel down on the floor with the wires still attached. Louis came up and started picking through the wires, looking for the right ones that he could use with his Pip-Boy. He reached into the inside and started pulling out more wires connected to circuit boards and other electronic devices and laid them on the control panels around it.

"This equipment is old. Prewar, no doubt." Louis said while unplugging the port and pulling out the cable. "This man really knows his stuff. All this equipment and terminal systems is worth a fortune. How much longer does the timer say?"

Victoria looked at the terminal screen that shared the same countdown as the one in the gas chamber room. "It says about twenty-three minutes! I don't know how to read, but at least I know numbers."

"Damn, time sure does fly!" Louis worked faster. He started disconnecting wires from the circuit boards while taking a mental note of everything he unplugged as the lights on the board began to flicker more. Worry crept at the back of his mind, he feared that he would set off the gas. He knew every wire he pulled could trigger a trap or something else. But at the moment he pushed those thoughts aside and reached inside with his entire arm as the cable of the Pip-Boy laid on a control panel nearby.

Victoria approach him. "What do you want us to do? Since you seem to be on top of this."

"Well, if I do get my device plugged in, I'll need you guys to help those people out." He answered her while still searching around. "Don't need to cause a panic or have them run around without any place to go."

"Oh, we'll keep them in line alright." Radcliffe grinned while holding up his LMG.

"Not by threatening them, Radcliffe!" Victoria turned to him. "Are you out of your mind?"

Louis' hand grabbed something thick and pulled it up slowly. It was a yellow cable with white rings going down it. "The data cord! This is a hardline connection to the terminal systems here! I might be able to use this!"

"How?" Radcliffe asked.

"I...don't know..." Louis looked down dejectedly. "I got myself too excited again. Stupid!"

Victoria thought she saw a flicker on Louis' Pip-Boy out of the corner of her eye and looked to it. The screen was still black but she spotted something strange with the cable. "Louis! Something happened to your plug, look at it."

He did and almost went wide eyed. The metal part of the plug had changed, it was split down the middle and open like a prong. Louis frowned while picking it up and looked at the inner part of the prong and noticed the flat sides were covered in slants. He rubbed a gloved finger on it gently and felt a slight jolt and pulled his finger away.

"Ouch. Whatever happened, it's electrified." He said while waving his finger.

"I could have sworn I saw your Pip-Boy screen flash." Victoria said. "Then all of a sudden the plug was like that."

Louis looked at the prong and hummed softly. Ever since the day he controlled that military sentry bot like a remote control toy, he felt strange about his Pip-Boy. The specs were just as unknown as the model itself. Other than the signal pointing their direction, any attempts to find its hidden functions were locked and unaccessible other than the basics like his biometrics, recordings, map marking and positioning, and a few other things. The other thing that made him feel concern about it was when his VATS would kick in whenever he seemed to need it most. Either way it was questions for another day as an idea came to mind.

"So you say my screen flashed? That was after I found the data cord." Louis trailed on as he held the prong in one hand and the cord in the other. "I wonder..."

He placed the cord between the prongs, and as he did the prong clamped down tightly enough to keep the cord from slipping out easily. After that the Pip-Boy came alive with data scrolling on the screen. The green glow reflected off his eyes as everything there was on the terminal laid bare before him, and all he had to do was sort it out.

"I'm in! I don't know how but I am!"

"So you can shut everything down now?" Victoria asked him.

Louis narrowed his eyes at the screen for a moment. "Yes and no, some of the command controls are heavily encrypted. It's like the Pip-Boy is showing me the things I wanted to see in the format of options on my screen. But I still need to manually override it, like deciphering a code."

"So we're screwed again?" Radcliffe asked, starting to grow bored.

"No. We still have a chance." Louis took a seat on the long control panel next to the opening Radcliffe made. "And I'm gonna need you guys to help. You'll both have the most important job."

()()()()()()()()()()

Ezrah stood tall in his Power Armor as another volley of bullets and angry taunts came his way. Even through the noise, the charging of his Gatling laser could be heard. Wayland stood up behind him, the six long barrels of his Avenger minigun spinning. The rest of the group stayed behind cover yet poked their heads up to see the fight about to take place.

The former member of the Brotherhood stomped his right foot, the concrete cracked around it as he got in a wide stance, the laser pointer at the end of his weapon lit straight across the room to the left. Wayland took a stance too and pointed his minigun to the right.

"Okay, just as we planned." Ezrah aimed his Gatling laser straight. "I'll start on the left!"

"And I'll start on the right!" Wayland aimed his minigun straight.

"And meet in the middle!" Ezrah finished.

Both fingers pulled the triggers at once and unleashed their attacks. Bursting bullets and streaking lasers flew across the long room, tearing and burning through everything in their path. The Super Mutants had no time to prepare as both sides were hit. The lasers burned through their makeshift armor easily, one who was about to throw a grenade ended up having its body almost burned in half and severed the arm holding the grenade. It fell to the floor, the Super Mutant holding the grenade at the time already pulled the pin as it rolled out of the hand next to a small crate filled with more grenades. It went off and blew up the others in the crate, creating a massive chain reaction that shook the room and sending shrapnel flying and kill several more Super Mutants in the process as Ezrah continued without hesitation.

Wayland's minigun proved to be more aggressive, the bullets tore through limbs and bodies almost like a blade. One was even cut in half at the chest and collapsed to the floor in two big bloody pieces. Those who tried to shoot back only ended up filled with holes for trying. The last dozen or so still standing began to flee in all direction, leaving their wounded and dying behind, unable to see that both attacks were only a few feet away from each other. More fell as they fled, their armor made from junk failed to protect them against the onslaught. At last the streams of bullets and lasers met near the middle, only inches apart before the two stopped firing.

The other side of the room laid in ruins, every piece of equipment and machinery had some form of hole through it, either smoking or not. Every other Super Mutant was either dead or dying, either way they were no longer a threat. Doug stood up first, followed by Inez and Asimov, Chloe, Joe, than finally Hiromi and his team.

"It's over!" One of them said to break the silence. "It's finally over! We won!" He held up his rifle into the air.

Several more of them cheered, threw up their weapons and even fired a few shots into the ceiling above. Even Hiromi smiled and crossed his arms. Doug sat down on the crate he and Inez hid behind to take the weight off his ankle that started to get sore again. Inez checked her remaining ammo and chuckled to herself after seeing she only had one full magazine left and thanked her lucky star. Asimov's arm laser guns folded back in and nodded in satisfaction of a completed mission.

"Thank god, we're almost out of bullets." Doug said as he checked his ammo too.

Joe nodded while putting a cigarette in his mouth and fumbled around for his lighter. "I'll say..."

Ezrah flipped the Gatling laser over his shoulder and connected it to the magnetic holster on the right. He turned his helmeted head to Wayland. "I thank you. And I will make sure everyone knows how you helped here too."

Wayland looked at the bodies of the fallen Super Mutants on the other end. He sighed to himself while swiveling the minigun to its standby station next to the ammo box backpack. Part of him felt a rack of guilt for killing his kind in such a manner. Memories of his former kin came to mind, all of them none too pleasant either. But he still wished there was another way other than killing them all. Either way it was too late and at least many more lives will be spared.

"We should go see if the others saved the ones being held captive." He spoke plainly, a slight hint of sadness to it.

Ezrah was about to ask what was wrong before a raging scream echoed throughout the room. All eyes fell on Demon, who stood at the entrance where its kin fought. Anger was painted all over its face, its right eye twitched, pain burned in the area where the metal shard stuck out. Splitter soon ran out from the entrance, yet it looked like it was running from something rather than getting to its leader's side.

" _You!_ All of you! You kill my kin! You ruin everything!" Demon screamed and threw its fists up.

"Just two more to deal with." Ezrah reached for his Gatling laser. "And then it will finally be over."

A loud rumble came from the entrance, followed by the sound of concrete chunks falling to the floor. That made Ezrah hesitate to attack while everyone else got ready.

Demon quickly dashed out of the way as more rumbling sounds came. "You all may have killed my kin! But Thrasher will smash you all to pieces and feast on your bones!"

"Thrasher?" Wayland asked in confusion.

"I don't like the sound of that." Chloe held her plasma rifle tight as a cold chill went down her metallic spine.

Another roar came from the entrance, one that sounded all too familiar. The sound of heavy footsteps charged down the dark hall before coming to a sudden stop. A loud clinking noise came next before the top of the entrance exploded in a shower of concrete and twisted rebar. They saw the object that smashed through come crashing to the floor. It was a pear shaped hunk of metal, a wrecking ball connected to a thick chain being pulled back in.

The massive creature crashed through the entrance, almost causing it to collapse behind it. Another Behemoth stood before them, its left arm was covered in deep scars and wore little scrap armor over its body that hanged loosely. Around its right wrist was the chain, which was long and held firmly in its massive hand. It held the wrecking ball in its left hand, letting it dangle on a few feet of chain. Before long it eyed the humans and started waving the weapon around.

"All of you stay back!" Ezrah quickly pulled his Gatling laser back into his hands and began charging. "This thing is too dangerous with that ranged weapon! And most of you are almost out of ammo!"

"I still go plenty! And my missile launcher as well!" Wayland pointed his minigun back up.

The Behemoth went on the attack once it saw its targets. It began swinging the wrecking ball above its head to gain momentum while letting the chain slowly slide out in its grip. It hurled the wrecking ball across the room with the chain clanking all the way. The weapons smashed into a nearby machinery, whether it meant to hit the machinery or just overestimated the weapon's reach, no one could say. It started stomping forward while pulling it back for another toss.

Ezrah barked out commands for everyone to get back behind cover and began running to the left while firing in short bursts. Wayland did the same by going to the right and letting off more bullets. The two managed to get the Behemoth's attention as it swung its head side to side in a struggle to pick one of them.

The wanderers and Hiromi's team went back behind cover to rest and reload what little ammo they had left. Which wasn't very much. At the other end of the room, Demon lost its attention on the fight and looked at the bodies of its dead kin. The pain in its head burned like fire and everything began to get blurry and hazy in thought.

Demon then snapped its head towards its second in command. "This never would have happened if we had more of us! It's all the science man's fault! He waste time playing with strange liquids and useless junk!" It spun around on its heel and went through the entrance, walking over the rubble that came down. "Splitter! You stay and make sure Thrasher kills them!"

The second in command gave its leader a confused look. "Where you going now?"

"To kill the science man and the white one! He needs to pay!" Demon answered, its voice growing more distant down the hall.

Splitter was unable to say anything else as Demon disappeared into the darkness. After its leader was gone, Splitter placed its big hand around its arm near the metal cap of its axe. For as long as it could remember, Demon had always been brash and reckless with everything it did. And Demon only got worse ever since the human and the albino came to them. Demon had always ruled through brute strength but rarely got involved with any fights that put it in danger. And now the entire clan laid dead or dying with only one more Behemoth left. Yet a grand idea came to Splitter's mind, it knew the human's ogres would tear Demon apart if it tried anything on the human. And that made the axe swinger all the more happy, all Splitter had to do was wait for Thrasher to kill the humans and go off to find another clan and take over as the leader.

So Splitter simply stayed back and watched as the Behemoth hurled its wrecking ball again at the man in metal armor and almost landed a hit on him.

()()()()()()()()

Victoria and Radcliffe rushed back into the holding area, they went to the other terminal and looked at the timer, which had less than fifteen minutes left before the gas released. They spotted Cavall nearby, clawing at the glass of a cell as if to dig through it but to no avail. The only thing he managed was deep scratches.

"Cavall, come here boy." Victoria called to him and held her arm out. The hybrid stopped and went over to receive a pat on the head as he whimpered a little. "I know, but good try anyway."

"Yo! Listen up, all of you!" Radcliffe shouted to get all their attention.

Victoria went next before he said something stupid or cause a panic. "Our friend found a way to unlock the cells! And when they open, quickly come out and close the doors behind you!"

"He can't stop the gas from spraying, so you won't have much time! Every second will count!" Radcliffe continued while pacing down the hall.

"So please, don't rush! We know you want to get out, but please help each other! Help anyone who can't move very well and come out a few at a time!"

"And don't run off either!" Radcliffe looked at the locks and thought for a second to take a chance with his gun. "We don't know if those big ugly fucks are still around! Our people are fighting them right now! So just hold on and we'll have you people taken care of once you're out!"

Victoria looked back down the other end of the hall. "Come on, Louis. Everyone's counting on you." She said to herself before helping Radcliffe get the people ready.

Back in the control room, Louis sat on a chair fiddling away on the controls of his Pip-Boy. He glanced over at the terminal screen and checked the time again. A feeling of haste went through him as he put all his focus on the locks system. He found out that turning off the gas would take longer because the scientist obviously put more effort into the program. But to Louis' luck, the program to the locks wasn't as encrypted.

Connecting his Pip-Boy in such an unusual way opened up a whole new level of access on his device. Using the dials to sort through the data was a bit difficult at first since the function was so new and it made Louis fear he would trigger something else or disconnect from the terminal. But suddenly a flashing alarm went off on his screen, he had lost track of time and saw there was only eight more minutes left.

"Dammit! How could I have lost so much time?" He cursed to himself and worked more frantically. "Come on, calm down and keep a level head. You can do this. Just think of it as computer class. If computer class had lives on the line." He chuckled nervously and steady his breathing.

Back in the holding cells, Victoria and Radcliffe managed to get everyone organized by standing in front of the doors without cramming into each other. Some carried others on their backs or in their arms since they were too weak from old injuries and lack of proper care that barely kept them all alive. The redhead looked at the terminal screen again and felt the hair on the back of her neck stand on end after seeing the remaining time.

"No! It's almost too late!" She said to herself so as not to cause a panic. But even as she tried to hide it, anyone could see the worry in her eyes to the countless lives hanging in the balance.

Only four minutes remained as Louis began to sweat. He could feel his heart pounding in his chest and his fingers trembled every time he made a mistake.

"I'm...I'm not going to make it! All those people, and I'm gonna let them down!" Louis gritted his teeth and was about to give in. His arms felt like lead and he slumped back in the chair. He glanced down at the screen once more in defeat, but the dread suddenly went away as he saw a highlighted bar that displayed the lock system with an override option. He lunged up in his seat and had to read the screen a few times to make sure he wasn't seeing things. "What in the world? I don't remember being in this section of the coding!" He pondered in confusion before realizing that wasn't important. "Forget it, questions for later. I just hope Victoria and Radcliffe has got everybody ready."

He highlighted the command and activated it. The terminal system began blinking with a dance of sparks across the board, some shorting out for good. Louis quickly kicked away from the terminal in fear it could explode or shock him. The clamp came undone and the plug closed up as the cord began reeling in. Louis grabbed the plug and examined it for a moment and wondered if he could make it open again before putting the tip in its housing.

"The rest is up to them." He spoke to himself and looked at the timer with little more than a minute left.

Just when Victoria and Radcliffe feared it was too late, all the lights on the locks switched from red to green with a unanimous clank that echoed in the entire hall. The doors flung open and the people inside almost couldn't believe it, their freedom right before them.

Radcliffe quickly snapped into action. "Hey! Everybody out already!"

The people didn't waste another second and flooded out. A few at a time squirmed through the openings and helped those too weak to move fast. Victoria and Radcliffe shouted over the clamor of the crowd to keep calm, even Cavall barked along with them as he seemed to help shepherd the people along. Once everyone was out, Vic and Rad pushed through the thick crowd to make sure no one was left behind on each side of the holding cells. And thankfully the last ones out quickly slammed the doors closed behind them and stepped away.

A short alarm went off as the timer reached zero. Rattling from above rang out as the FEV pumped through. The room went silent as everyone looked at their former prison cells. Greenish gas with a heavy hue of orange sprayed in from above in each cell from several sprinklers. The gas quickly filled in, many held their breaths in fear that the gas would leak out. But the gas never did, even the doors seemed to lock back up after being closed. After a few long minutes of floating gas with no people to infect, vents in each cell opened from above and vacuumed the FEV in to the air ducts to run through a system to neutralize and dispense it harmlessly into the air outside.

Once the gas was gone, the former captives couldn't hold back their excitement and cheered out loudly despite the danger they were still in at the time. Even Victoria looked to Radcliffe with a bright smile as he gave her a thumbs up in response. Down the other end of the hall, Louis ran while fearing the worst at first until the cheering reached his ears. He smiled as he came out into the holding cell and saw everyone out and not mutated. He gently made his way through the crowd and found his friends and Cavall being praised by the freed people.

"Hey, guys! Over here!" Louis waved his arm up for them to see. "I knew you guys would get them all out!"

"Yes, we did." Victoria moved her way to him. "But you cut it pretty close there."

"I know, sorry." He reached behind his head and scratched it. "I kinda lost hope there for a second."

"Well, whatever the hell you did it worked." Radcliffe approached them with Cavall at his side. "The gas got sucked out of the cells. We got everyone out in time."

"Good. No one was turned into a Super Mutant. That's what matters." Louis looked up to the crowd of people and saw that they were still worried and feared the Super Mutants would come storming in at any moment. "But unfortunately we're far from done."

"What are we gonna do about them?" Radcliffe asked, pointing his thumb at the confused people.

"We can't take them with us right now. We don't know if it's safe." Victoria pointed out.

"For now we need to get back to the rest. No telling what's gone on since we left." Louis took a few steps forward and cleared his throat. " _Hey_ , listen up!" He shouted loud enough for all to hear. The entire floor went quiet. "I'm glad all of you got out in time! But we're not out of the woods yet! Right now our people are fighting the Super Mutants as we came to rescue you! But we don't know what their current situation is! So it's best you all stay here and wait for someone to come recover you!"

The people took that far worse than the three expected, at once they all spoke loudly in protest against the idea. Louis and Victoria tried to calm them all down but their voices were drowned out. Radcliffe took out his Hardballer and pointed it up in the air for everyone to see. Upon seeing his gun the voices quieted down in a few moments before he fired off a round.

"Thanks." Victoria said to him.

"Ah, I wanted to shoot a bullet off..." Radcliffe sighed and put it back in its holster.

Louis took a step forward and held his hands up. "I can't begin to imagine what you people have been through. Spending everyday cooped up in these cells waitin' for the worst to happen and more." His words seemed to reach them as they waited to hear him out. "But you must be patient for a little longer. Let us take you to safety. There's a settlement nearby, one that will welcome you all in and build a new life."

The freed people finally seemed convinced, so for now it kept them from running off into trouble or wandering into the Wasteland with nothing but the ragged clothes on their backs. And the promise of a new place to live helped convince them as well.

"How long do you need us to stay here?" A man with a balding head asked them. "We just want to leave after all this time."

"Only for a little while longer." Victoria answered. "We promise we'll send someone to come get you."

Radcliffe took a few steps forward and slung his LMG over his shoulder. "Hey, I'll hang back for a bit and watch these people while you guys go get Hiromi and his people." He suggested. "If there's any more of those big ugly freaks around, I'll have a better shot at mowing them down."

"That's...actually not a bad idea, Radcliffe." Louis said to him. "You still have plenty of ammo.

"Alright, we'll be back soon. Just wait and we'll send help soon." Victoria spoke as they began moving forward.

The crowd parted down the middle to let them pass. After that Radcliffe stopped in front of the crowd as Louis, Victoria, and Cavall dashed off in hopes that one person was enough to keep hundreds of people protected for as long as possible.

()()()()()()()()()

Thaddeus slammed another suitcase closed and locked it and shoved it aside to fill the last one he had. Almost the entire lab had been picked clean, all the research that was worth taking had been packed and secured, a few of the ogres had the specialized backpacks strapped to their backs. Despite each full pack weighing a few hundred pounds, the ogres barely felt the weight. Not that any of them were capable of complaining.

"Okay, pack this, pack that, put this over here, pack lightly..." Thaddeus muttered to himself as he filled the last suitcase. He put in clothes, holotapes, some toiletries, a hair dryer he never uses, and a full bottle of unopened bourbon from a drawer that he looked at with a smile. "Oh! Pack smart."

"We're almost done. Don't pack any unnecessary things." Al said to him as he carried over a full duffle bag. "It's not like you're gonna carry any of this."

"This bourbon is over twenty years old and isn't some piss swill brewed up in someone's rusted bathtub or toilet." Thaddeus tucked the bottle in a sleeve on the inside of the briefcase. "I'm not gonna let it go to waste here."

Just as he zipped it closed, the metal door banged several times with a thunderous boom that threatened to break it off its hinges.

"Science man! Open this door!" Demon screamed so loud it sounded like it was in the room.

"And here I thought we wouldn't have to see that fool again..." Thaddeus sighed deeply and rubbed his eyes from the oncoming headache.

"Just give the command and the ogres will tear that idiot apart." Al whispered to him, despite not needing to because the banging was so loud.

Thaddeus thought about it for a moment then nodded in agreement, and was seconds away from giving the command. But then he stopped himself as an idea came to mind. "No. Open the door. I have an idea. Ogres, do it."

One of the lumbering ogres went over and undid the lock, the door flung open and almost sent the ogre falling over as Demon stormed in seething with rage. Two other ogres got in between Thaddeus and the rampaging leader, ready to attack as soon as the scientist gave the command.

"You pathetic human! All my kin are dead! Because you didn't make more of us!" Demon screamed, spit flying from its mouth. "If you just changed those humans we could have killed all the settler humans and the man in the metal suit!"

Al glanced to Thaddeus, waiting for him to give the command. But instead he stood up from his seat and threw his arms up.

"You're right! I screwed up!" He said in a slight mocking tone, yet not surprisingly, Demon didn't pick up on it. "Oh, sometimes being human can be such a bother. I mean, we live short lives. We need a lot of food and water just to live. It's such a hassle, isn't it?"

Al rubbed the side of his head with two fingers and grumbled. "What are you _doing?_..."

"Why, I'm just apologizing to our host for not keeping my end of our promise." Thaddeus answered him, again with a phoney tone. Demon seemed to simmer down for the moment. The ogres standing in front of it stood aside as Thaddeus approached, wearing the same crooked grin. "I'm sorry for your loss, truly I am. But, all is not lost. For you can still be a leader once I get down to the gas chamber."

"Those humans attacking us will still be here if Thrasher, our last Behemoth, doesn't kill them!" Demon argued, its anger flaring up again.

"Have faith in, uh, Thrasher. I'm sure with its big helicopter blade, it will dice all them to pieces." Thaddeus assured the leader.

"Thrasher is the one with the wrecking ball." Al corrected with a deadpanned tone.

"Whatever toys they play with!" Thaddeus said to him before turning back to Demon. "The point is, I on the other hand, can give you something more than just a new army at your back."

Demon raised a brow. "And what's that?"

Thaddeus quickly turned around and went over to the fridge area and opened the one at the far end. He bent down and opened the vegetable drawer and took out a slightly larger vial filled with a greenish liquid. If Al could, he would have turned pale at the sight of the vial and was about to speak before seeing the look in Thaddeus' eyes telling him to be silent.

"The formula in this vial, is something I've been cooking up just for you." He said while walking back up. "Once you drink it, you will gain the strength of many Behemoths, heal almost instantly, and tower over everything you see!"

Demon touched the metal piece in its head. "And my headaches?"

"Should clear right up." He answered. "I've spent many nights perfecting this just for you. And the other doses you've had helped prepare your body and mind. So take this, and if any of those settlers and the 'metal man' are still alive, they will die like vermin after this serum changes you!"

Demon plucked the vial from Thaddeus' hand and looked it over for a moment. It looked back down to the scientist, unsure if it could trust the liquid inside before grunting indifferently and placed its big fingers around the cap to twist it off.

"Wait, hold on!" Thaddeus waved his hands out. "The serum won't take long to change you. Why don't you go back to where the settlers are and take it on the way?"

Demon grumbled and held the vial in its big hand. "This better work. Or I'll come back!"

Thaddeus almost rolled his eyes to the empty threat. "Oh, I promise it _will_. And I'll take care of those people down below as well. You'll have a whole new army waiting to see their mighty leader evolved."

Without saying another word, Demon turned around and went back through the open door, completely forgetting what the ogres were doing as it observed the vial again. The ogre standing near the door closed it after Thaddeus gave the signal with a wave of his hand.

After Al was sure the Super Mutant leader was gone, he quickly marched up to Thaddeus and had to resist the urge to grab him by the shoulder. "Are you out of your mind?! You know that formula is unstable and would turn any Super Mutant into a monster! A _worse_ one! And with Demon's brain damage there's no telling what affects it will have!"

"That's...the point." Thaddeus looked up to him. "I know the serum will ruin Demon, and even kill the shithead in maybe two or so hours after it drinks it. But that will be more than enough time for us to slip away. We _can't_ allow anyone to see us. We have to stay in the shadows."

"Even so, it's a risky gamble. Demon could come back here after it changes it."

"All the more reason to go." Thaddeus picked up his suitcase. "We'll go to the roof. There's an emergency stair system that leads to the ground. The perfect escape."

Al left it at that and continued with the clean up. Any and all evidence of Thaddeus' work had been cleared and packed, the ogres stood ready with heavy loads on their backs and duffle bags and old suitcases in their hands save for two that were going to be the front guards. Thaddeus changed into clothes more suited for travel as Al took out his assault rifle that he hid away and held it close. Thaddeus went over to his messy bed and pulled out a cylinder that was twice the size of a coffee thermos. He placed it in the middle of the room on the floor, pressed the button on the top of it for a few seconds until a long cylinder part sprang up. He typed on the small keypad and pressed the top button again and the cylinder sunk back down into the main housing. Thaddeus gave the command to move out, the ogres surrounded the two and kept pace as he looked back into the lab that was his home for the last few years, happy to be leaving.

()()()()()()()()

The wrecking ball came down with a thunderous slam that shattered the concrete and missed Wayland by only a few inches. Ezrah circled around again and pelted the Behemoth's back with another few dozen streaks of lasers. It roared in pain and pulled on the chain with a sharp tug that sent the wrecking ball flying towards him. Despite the bulk and weight of his armor, Ezrah managed to not only leap out of the way but roll while keeping the Gatling laser from being damaged. The Behemoth tugged the chain again and sent the wrecking ball flying back towards it before reaching its massive hand out to grab another section of the chain to stop its momentum. Soon it had the weapon swinging back in the air, looking between the two to pick its next target to smash into the ground.

The rest of the group could only watch as they tended to their wounded and reloaded their guns. Doug had finished checking over his weapons and was about to step into the fight. "Guys, come on! We need to help! They can't beat that thing alone!"

"I'm glad you're itching to fight, Doug. But you and Inez weren't there when we fought the first one in the streets!" Joe said to him.

"I have to agree with Joe. Killing just one of them proved to be greatly difficult." Asimov nodded. "Their bodies are incredibly thick. Most of our bullets only pricked their skin and lasers left shallow burns."

"Damn. That bad?" Inez said in disbelief. "Is that why you guys had to blow its head off?"

"Well, Wayland actually shot a missile into its mouth, but yeah, we blew its head up." Chloe said as she loaded a plasma cartridge and checked to make sure it didn't get damage.

"Well, I agree with Doug." Hiromi stood up from his cover. "We can't sit here and do nothing! Those two can't fight that monster alone!"

Ezrah was nearby enough to hear their conversations. "No! All of you stay back! It's too dangerous!" He fired off several more volleys, having to time the charge up just right.

"Don't be crazy! We all barely managed to kill the first one with almost everything we had!" Joe tried to reason.

"But we still have far more ammo than all of you!" Ezrah responded as he started sidestepping while firing. "You all are exhausted and almost out of ammo! Don't engage unless you have no other choice!"

The Behemoth focused its attention on Ezrah since the rapid laser burns irritated the giant even more. Its wrecking ball swung up in the air before giving the chain a sharp downward tug that sent it flying down and spun in a loop and sent it slamming into the floor once more.

Wayland went around as the Behemoth focused on Ezrah. He figured hitting it from behind would have more affect, especially when he aimed for the back of its massive head. The barrel of his Avenger started spinning as he raised it higher and was about to squeeze the trigger. But the burst of gunfire didn't come from Wayland's minigun, instead his body exploded with pain. He stumbled forward and almost dropped while looking down to see blood dripping on the floor. Several bleeding wounds were all over his body, a few at his side, two in his lower abdomen, some in both legs, and several up his right arm. Seeing the wounds made his vision go blurry as he turned his head to see who shot him.

He found that it was Splitter who did it while running towards him and using his own AK-47. Firing an assault rifle one handed was always difficult for the second in command. But even so, Splitter was never a good shot even when it used to have two hands. "You ruin everything, human lover! You and all those weak humans will die! And then I become new leader!"

Splitter pointed the rifle again, it was off to the left as it fired. Wayland was prepared that time despite the throbbing pain every time he moved. It's aim was way off thanks to the rifle bouncing around in its grip. The magazine quickly went empty and Splitter cursed.

Wayland turned around and aimed at Splitter, but it already fled behind some machinery and started reloading its stolen weapon. Wayland fired upon its location, turning the machinery all around into a mess of holes. But soon he realized what he was doing and stopped shooting before he wasted anymore ammo.

In that brief moment after he stopped, Splitter lunged back up with a new magazine loaded and fired. At that range, Splitter managed to get a few shots into Wayland's lower legs before its aim tilted off to the right. Wayland's body went limp and collapsed to the floor, the minigun flew out of his hands and clattered on the floor. Wayland's big palms landed on the floor next and prevented his face from slamming into the cold dirty concrete.

Even with Splitter's terrible aim, it was enough to leave Wayland defenseless. He tried to reach for the minigun but it was just out of big fingered reach. But then he looked up to see Splitter standing over him with the AK-47 pointed right at his head.

"Now you die! Die on your hands and knees like dog!"

"Dogs don't have hands, idiot!" Wayland spat.

That frustrated Splitter enough to give Wayland a moment to retaliate. His left hand grabbed the barrel and pushed it away from his head. In a panic Splitter fired the rifle and got a few grazing shots in Wayland's shoulder. He gritted his teeth to the pain and continued to fight back while slowly standing back up. Splitter raised its axe arm up to chop his head open, and Wayland quickly threw his hand out to catch the blade by the hilt. The two struggled and tugged against each other, the minigun dragged around on the floor as the axe missed Wayland's face by inches every time Splitter tried pushing it down.

"Just die already!" Splitter shouted as Wayland pushed back harder. It pulled the assault rifle trigger again sending bullets flying everywhere until the magazine clicked empty and left Wayland's left ear ringing painfully.

A few of the stray bullets found an unfortunate mark and hit the Behemoth's back leg as it tossed its weapon at Ezrah again. Whether it was far more sensitive in that area or easily agitated, the Behemoth roared and quickly turned around, stomping the floor as it pulled its wrecking ball and gave it a quick spin above its head and hurled it at its attacker.

"Wayland! Look out!" Ezrah screamed, the vocal synthesizer of his helmet enhancing his cry.

The Super Mutants turned their heads just in time to see the wrecking ball flying their way with a slight spin to its throw. Both of them froze in place as it dawned on them it was only a few feet away from hitting them both dead on.

()()()()()()()()

Demon spat in disgust as it tossed the empty vial to the floor, shattering into many pieces. At first Demon didn't feel any different, in fact it began to feel a little queasy in the stomach as a warm sensation ran up its throat and spread to its face. The leader felt dizzy and leaned against the wall for support. The daze soon wore off, but then a warm and pricking sensation started running through Demon's body. It ignored the strange sensation and assumed it was the serum taking effect as it continued marching down a flight of steps. But little did the leader know, its monstrous mutation was already beginning.


End file.
